Old Friends
by The Blue Raven
Summary: The Cirronian fugitive Lontoria is once again targeted by Zin, and turns to Cole and Mel for protection, causing Cole to reflect on two past relationships. AU. spoilers for 'The Miracle'
1. The Call

****

Old Friends

by: Blue

Summary: The Cirronian fugitive Lontoria is once again targeted by Zin, and turns to Cole and Mel for protection, causing Cole to reflect on two past relationships. Certain things about Gwen make it slightly AU unless I get hired to write a second season.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but, hey, just as soon as that deal with Zin goes through...

Timeline: Between "Eye of the Storm" and "Dark Road Home"... After my Tracker fic "Tabula Rosa"

Spoiler Alert: Tons of spoilers for "The Miracle"

Author's Note: As always, a thousand thanks to Cyn Tolram, my amazing (and amazingly patient) Beta.

Feedback: Feedback is better than Fek-Maln... Oh, yeah, and more feedback equals more fics. (ravenkatk@aol.com)

****

Chapter 1 -- The Call

"Clowns?" Gwen repeated with a laugh, staring at Mel and shaking her head in bemusement. Interesting twist to a conversation that had started in all seriousness.

"Long story..." Mel laughed, shaking her head.

"It would almost have to be. Wouldn't be a result of reading too much Stephen King at a young age, would it?" Gwen asked with a wicked grin.

Mel opened her mouth to answer but stopped when the front door swung in and Andrew Cutter, Gwen's boyfriend, walked in. Although he went to school with Gwen, Andy Cutter reminded Mel more of the stereotypical Banker than of the stereotypical college student. Every time she had seen him, he was impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, complete with briefcase in place of a backpack. He had several years on Gwen, which only added to the impression although, Mel knew, Gwen was young for a grad student. 

Mel liked Andy Cutter very much, even if she thought he might have been a little old for Gwen. He was always polite, always cheerful, and never had a cross word for anyone. According to Gwen, he was also "kind of smart", which, coming from Gwen, was high praise indeed. Gwen tended to be fairly noncommittal in her opinions of others, even of others she liked very much, so when she described Andy as "kind of smart" and "really sweet", Mel knew that he must have been quite a catch. It did not hurt that he looked like a young Sidney Portier and had a voice like Ray Earl Jones.

"Miss Porter..." he greeted her with a wide smile. "Gwynlyn."

Gwen smiled faintly by way of greeting. "Cutter. What can I get you?"

His smile turned regretful. "Nothing today, I'm afraid. I've only a few minutes."

"Ah." Gwen nodded expressionlessly. "So, what brings you by?"

"I was on my way to campus to drop off my lab report. Thought I might save you the same trip."

"Oh, could you? I'd appreciate it." Gwen ducked behind the bar and pulled a manila folder out of her backpack, handing it to Cutter. "You're an angel."

He smiled and accepted the report with a slight shrug, tucking it into his briefcase. "Perhaps I could... stop by your place tonight. If you've no objections."

"None at all." Gwen smiled at him as he turned to leave. "See you then."

"I look forward to it, Gwynlyn. Have a pleasant day, Miss Porter." With a quick bow of the head, he left the bar.

Mel smiled after him. "That was sweet of him."

Gwen grinned and nodded, ducking her head. "Cutter's like that. Think it must be what attracted me to him." Her smile widened. "That or his _voice_..."

Mel grinned. "The voice is nice."

"Just nice?" Gwen chuckled and shook her head. "Get him to say 'Luke, I am your father' some time." 

Mel laughed softly. "So, when are you two tying the knot?"

"Eh." Gwen shrugged. "No hurry. He's not going anywhere." She smiled mischievously at Mel. "When are you and Mister Hauser tying the knot?" she retorted, winking.

"Gwen!" Mel laughed, tossing a bar-rag at her. "How many times..."

"I know. Just friends. Whatever." Gwen shrugged. "Not really any of my business, I guess." She grinned again. "You're just lucky I have Cutter, or I might try to steal Mister Hauser from you..." she teased.

"I guess that _does_ make me lucky." 

Mel grinned at her and shrugged. She knew that Gwen was not serious. Although Gwen was very friendly with Cole and Cole with Gwen, there had never been the least hint of anything beyond friendship. Cole seemed to feel almost paternal towards Gwen. As far as Mel could tell, Gwen seemed to view his occasional lapses in understanding as just part of his recovery process. She was quick to explain anything that Cole seemed to have trouble with, and she never asked _why_ he should not understand certain figures of speech or why people behaved in certain ways.

And, of course, the psychology student and the Tracker spent hours discussing the ins and outs of the criminal mind. Mel almost swore that, at times, Gwen's insights allowed Cole to better Track his fugitives. The fact that Gwen did not know that his fugitives were not human did not seem to matter in the least. Gwen seemed to have accepted Cole's cover-story, that he was an undercover agent, and more than once he had asked Gwen for her insights into a given case. More than once, too, Gwen's insights had made the difference.

"Okay. Clowns." Gwen opened her mouth to speak again, then paused as the phone rang. She picked it up. "Watchfire." She listened for a few moments, frowning curiously, then glanced at Mel. "It's for Mister Hauser. Jamie Swinson, says she's an old friend of his." She covered the receiver and added, "Which would be a neat trick considering that she doesn't even sound old enough to be _calling_ a bar." She regarded Mel quizzically.

"Yeah, tell her to hang on. I'll go get him."

Gwen nodded. "You should hurry. She sounds upset." She held the phone to her ear again. "Jamie? Yeah, someone's getting him if you can just hang on for a few seconds."

Mel hurried up the stairs and into Cole's room, wondering why Lontoria would be calling Cole. She suppressed an irrational surge of jealousy at the thought of the Cirronian scientist who had once been so deeply involved with Cole that he had been unable to find words to explain their attachment, except to say that, as a human, she was not equipped to understand it. She was not even sure if their involvement had been physical, if Cirronians even _had_ physical involvements with each other.

And, she reminded herself firmly, it did not matter. She had no real claim on Cole, after all, and even if she _had_, that did not mean that he was not entitled to his own past entanglements. God knew that Mel had enough of _those_. She was in absolutely no position to judge. Sar-Top had been lonely, cold as Cole had described it. It only made sense that two Cirronians would seek each other out in such an environment, surrounded by aliens as they had been. So what if one was a guard and the other a prisoner?

Whatever there _had_ been between them, Mel had supposed that it was over. After all, Lontoria had made no effort to contact Cole in the past several months. Until now...

Mel knocked on Cole's door, feeling a little anxious, wondering what could have prompted Lontoria to get in touch _now_. She hoped that it was nothing serious, even as she suspected that it must be. "Cole?" she called.

"Yes, Mel?" he asked, looking up. "Is something wrong?" he added, noting her expression.

"Lontoria's on the phone..." Mel said quietly. "Gwen says she sounded upset."

Cole rose, frowning. "I wonder what's wrong..." he muttered, following Mel down the stairs and into the bar.

"Here he is..." Gwen said into the phone, handing it to Cole.

"Thank you..." Cole told her, taking the phone. "Jamie? Is something wrong?" Cole listened, his frown growing deeper. "No, calling me was the right thing to do... Don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I can." 

He hung the phone up, pausing for a moment, then he took Mel by the arm and led her to the far corner of the bar, glancing at Gwen before beginning. She had turned on her radio and was washing glasses, not paying any attention to either of them once 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' came on. He watched for a moment as she danced to the music, strange moves but also familiar. He was sure he had seen them before, although he could not be sure where. Not that it mattered in light of other facts. Dismissing the thought, he shook his head and turned to Mel.

"What's going on?" Mel asked in a low voice once she had also satisfied herself that Gwen was too absorbed in what she was doing to notice them.

"Lontoria may be in trouble..." Cole replied in an equally low voice. "She says that there have been some government agents asking her all kinds of questions about her 'miracles'."

"She's raising people from the dead again?" Mel asked, shaking her head in disgust. That was insane. There could be no better way to draw attention to herself and the other aliens than that.

Cole shook his head. "When she revived me, it used almost all of her Cirronian life-force. She's as human now as you or Gwen. These people want to know about the last time. But..." He lowered his voice again and leaned closer to Mel. "From the direction of their questions so far, Lontoria thinks that they might know the truth about her. She's scared, Mel."

Mel's eyes were wide. Lontoria had every reason to be worried by that, and Mel suddenly, irrationally found herself worried for Cole as well. "Oh, my God..." She frowned uncertainly. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet, Mel. But she can't defend herself anymore. No more than a normal seventeen-year-old could."

"In other words, not at all."

Cole nodded. "I need to go to her. It's... my fault that she can't protect herself now." He sighed, feeling horrible that Lontoria had given up so much for him.

"Be careful..." Mel told him softly.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mel." He turned to leave, but stopped when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her again, curious.

"Look, her home might not be the best place for either of you right now..." Mel began. If these people knew that Jamie Swinson was really an alien, it would _not_ be safe for Cole to be seen with her, especially since they might be affiliated with a government agency that already knew about him. They did _not_ however, know about Mel, which made the Watchfire the safest place for him. And for her. "Bring her back here. It'll be safer."

Cole smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Mel."

Mel shrugged. "Just stay safe, okay?"

Cole smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mel." He touched her throat lightly, then turned and left.

Gwen looked up as he reached the door. "Bye, Mister Hauser! Have fun. Catch the bad guys." It was her traditional goodbye when Cole left the bar on 'business'.

Cole smiled and nodded at the young woman as he left. "Yes, Gwen."

Gwen smiled at Mel and returned to washing glasses. "Hope everything's okay..." she remarked off-handedly. "That Jamie girl sounded _really_ upset..."

Mel nodded. "Nothing that Cole can't take care of..." she assured Gwen, knowing that the girl would, as always, refrain from asking further questions about the matter.

"Okay." Gwen shrugged, turning her attention back to Mel. "So, you were going to tell me about this clown phobia of yours..."

The statement relieved a lot of Mel's worry, so she laughed and sat down at the bar. "Mix me a drink and I'll tell you all about it."

***

Cole took a deep breath as he walked to the door, trying to compose himself. He felt so horrible that Lontoria was in danger, worse because she was powerless to protect herself because of _him_. Guilt, definitely his least favorite human emotion. Squaring his shoulders, he reached up and rang the doorbell.

"Yes?" an attractive middle-aged woman asked, answering the door. She regarded Cole warily, searchingly.

"Mrs. Swinson?" Cole asked, smiling as he remembered her. 

She nodded and smiled at Cole. "Oh, I remember you... You helped Jamie out when that man tried to kidnap her, didn't you?"

He nodded, smiling. "That's right, Mrs. Swinson."

"Call me Abby. Come in, please." She ushered him into the living-room. "You're here to see Jamie? She's upstairs. I'll go get her."

"Thank you, Abby." Cole smiled at her and patiently waited as she walked up the stairs.

After a few minutes, Abby and Lontoria came down the stairs.

Lontoria stopped when she saw Cole, a smile lighting her face. "Oh, thank God you're here!" she muttered, hurrying down the stairs and wrapping her arms around Cole.

A little surprised, he returned the hug. "How are you? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "So far, yes." She buried her face in his chest. "Better now..." she added, her voice shaking.

"Be calm..." Cole breathed, pushing her back far enough to rest his hand on her heart. "Be calm. Everything is going to be okay now... I'm going to take care of you."

She smiled up at him, nodding firmly. "I know. Thank you for coming."

"You called." He smiled warmly at her.

Lontoria smiled and nodded. "Here, sit down." When Cole sat down, she sat down next to him. "Mom, you remember Mister Hauser?"

Abby nodded. "He helped you when that man was trying to kidnap you."

"Yeah." Lontoria nodded. "Only he wasn't just trying to kidnap me. He was going to hurt me, and... Mister Hauser helped me out then. So, I'm hoping he can help me out again now with these government people."

"Oh, Jamie, you don't know that they want to _harm_ you..." Abby protested. "They're just... interested."

Lontoria rose and approached Abby, taking her hands. "Mom, _he_ can tell you firsthand what the government does to people like us." She nodded over her shoulder at Cole. "It's _not_ nice..."

Cole shivered involuntarily at the memory of the artificial cold that the scientists had used to keep him weak. It had almost killed him. Abby noticed Cole shiver and stared at him in surprise.

"Honey, is he... like you?" she asked, wondering if this man was also capable of the types of miracles that had brought her daughter so much trouble.

Lontoria nodded. "That's... that's why he helped me, mom. He's my friend, and he _can_ protect me."

Abby nodded, trusting her daughter's judgment. Jamie was an excellent judge of character, especially since she had gotten better. Also, there was something about Mister Hauser's bearing and manner that invited a person to trust him. He had an innocent, trusting expression that seemed almost out of place on an adult. Anyone who was that trusting of others just _had_ to have been trustworthy himself. She regarded him thoughtfully. She had no real idea _what_ these people who claimed to be government agents wanted with her daughter, but she did know that Jamie seemed terrified of them and that she herself was more than a little unnerved by them.

"I can take her to a safe place..." Cole told Abby gently. "Somewhere that no one will think to look for her. We can keep her safe there until we figure out what to do about this situation."

"Mom..." Lontoria whispered, giving her an encouraging nod.

"If Jamie believes that she is in danger from these people, then she almost certainly is. And I _can_ protect her, Abby..." Cole added gently.

She sighed and nodded. "I guess it couldn't hurt to get her some place safe for a few days." Abby glanced from Cole to Lontoria, who nodded, her expression pleading. "Jamie, honey, go pack some things."

"Yes, mom. Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay. Promise." Lontoria gave Abby a quick hug, then half-ran up the stairs.

Abby sighed and nodded, then turned to Cole. "Can you really keep her safe?"

He nodded. "I'd give my life to protect hers..." he told Abby gently. 

Abby looked startled at that pronouncement. It made her wonder what her daughter was up against, whether it was not, perhaps, more serious than she had thought.

"I should come..." she said quickly.

"You should stay, Mom, otherwise people are going to know that something's up..." Lontoria told her.

Cole nodded in agreement. "I'll take good care of her."

Reluctant but trusting her daughter's judgment, Abby nodded. "Okay. Please... She's all I have left."

"I understand..." Cole told her gently. "I'll take really good care of her for you."

"Thank you." Abby nodded and sighed. "This is all so..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

"I know." Cole nodded and gently touched her shoulder. "First you almost lost her to cancer, then she recovered from that and she developed these abilities and _that_ almost got her taken from you. The abilities are gone now, yet still she's at risk. I _know_ how important, how precious a daughter can be, Abby, and I promise you, I _will_ watch over yours."

Abby nodded. "Thank you so much..."

He smiled and nodded. "You don't have to be afraid..." he assured her. 

"He's right, mom. You don't have to be afraid. I'm in good hands." Lontoria walked down the stairs, carrying a small duffel-bag in one hand. "I'm ready."

"You stay safe, honey..." Abby told her.

"I will, mom..." Lontoria promised, hugging her. "Don't worry." She smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too, honey."

Lontoria smiled and nodded. "We should go now..." she told them, giving Abby one more hug.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Cole asked as he started the car.

"Of course I do. She's a good woman." Lontoria sighed and rested her head against the headrest, closing her eyes. "She loves her daughter very much."

Cole regarded her wordlessly for a moment. They both knew that Jamie had died the moment that Lontoria had taken over her body. Still, he saw no real need to bring it up. Definitely not at this point.

Lontoria looked at him, sighing. She knew exactly what he was thinking and he was right. "There's not a day that goes by that I'm not ashamed of what I did, Daggon. But I could_ not_ spend the rest of my life on Sar-Top if there was any way to get off." She shrugged. "It's still in your power to send me back."

"Please..." he whispered, closing his eyes. He was duty-bound to do so, but unable to bring himself to. The conflict was painful for a man unused to seeing the universe in shades of gray.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head, ashamed to have been the cause of his pain. "Look at me, Daggon. Look me in the eyes." When he had, she smiled. "You've met someone. I'm glad. You deserve a chance to be happy. I hope she's worthy of you." 

Cole smiled and pulled the car into the street. "You'll like Mel. She's not that different from you. Very stubborn."

Lontoria laughed and shook her head. "A human?" she asked, eager to hear more about the woman who had put the light back into her friend's eyes.

"Yes. But not like any human I've ever met. She's special..."

Lontoria smiled. "Well, I look forward to meeting her." After a few minutes of companionable silence, she asked, "Is she pregnant yet?"

Cole's hands tightened on the wheel, but he did not otherwise betray his surprise at the question. On Cirron, it would have been a perfectly acceptable one, and even by earth standards it was blunt rather than rude. Still, it had been unexpected, and it made Cole wish for things that he had once, not too long ago, been certain that he would never have again.

"Our relationship... it's not... physical."

Lontoria was surprised by her friend's halting tone. If he had been human, she might have thought it embarrassment. From a Cirronian, though? She had to look more closely before it occurred to her. Ah, regret. Poor Daggon.

"Does she not feel the same way about you?" Lontoria asked gently.

"I don't really know."

Lontoria blinked in surprise. "Have you _asked_?"

He remained silent.

"You've been living with these humans too long, Daggon." She shook her head.

"They aren't that different from any of the Migar species, Lontoria..." Cole told her gently. "They just have farther to come."

"Never thought I'd meet a self-respecting Cirronian afraid to tell a woman that he loves her." She shook her head in confusion. "Why are you waiting? It makes no sense."

"I don't know. It's just... not the right time."

"You're going to give yourself an ulcer at this rate, Daggon."

He stared at her, frowning. "Ulcers are the result of bacteria or foreign material in the stomach, Lontoria. I don't see how--"

"It's a human expression. It means you're too stressed."

He shrugged, admitting that this was probably the case. "I don't know. It's a species with such complex emotions and... rituals. Dating and pick-up lines and..." He sighed in frustration.

She smiled, amused by his frustration. "And love. Love is universal, Daggon. Tell her. If you can't tell her, _show_ her."

"I don't know how to do that either..." 

His frustration was obvious, so Lontoria put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her touch soothed him and he relaxed immediately.

"You'll like Mel..." he repeated, smiling. 

"I'm sure I will. How is everything going for you here?" she asked gently. "Work."

Cole smiled again. "Work is going very well. I've had a few close calls and obstacles, but I'm making substantial progress."

"Close calls?" she asked. "Obstacles?"

Cole shook his head and began explaining about Mel's friend Vic, whose purpose in life sometimes seemed to be making Cole's appointed task more difficult. Lontoria could not help but be amused. Although the Cirronian seemed not to realize it, it was obvious to her that Vic was jealous of Cole's close relationship with his remarkable human. Still, even if his interest in Cole was a result of jealousy, it did not change the fact that Mel's nosy friend was in a position not only to make Cole's life very difficult, but to expose him. And it was not just a matter of positioning, but of motivation. Simply put, it was in Vic's best interest to put Cole out of the way.

As Cole's narrative switched from Vic to Mel, Lontoria wondered if he realized this.


	2. Abduction

****

Chapter 2 -- Abduction 

"So, where's Gwen?" Vic asked, looking around the bar. In the past few months, Gwen had turned into an almost constant presence at the Watchfire, whether she was working or not.

"Pharmacy. Needed a refill on her Imitrex..." Mel told him as she poured him another drink.

"Ah." Vic nodded. Gwen could often be seen popping a variety of different pills, but she never let the chronic migraines that they fought interfere with her sunny demeanor. "And where's Cole?" he asked guardedly. He had not seen Mel's strange roommate much recently, and was curious. He liked to keep an eye on Cole, make sure that he was not doing anything that might endanger Mel, especially since the murder at the Watchfire and the subsequent disappearance and death of the suspect. When pressed, Vic could have come up with a dozen different reasons for his dislike and distrust of Cole, but it would never have occurred to him to cite jealousy. As good as the Detective was at picking up the subtlest cues in others, he had completely missed the obvious in himself.

"Out..." Mel replied vaguely.

"Yeah, that explains everything..." Vic muttered.

Mel found herself once again irritated by Vic's suspicions of Cole. "He's visiting a friend, okay?" she snapped.

"Hey, you don't have to get defensive." 

"I'm getting sick of you... _persecuting_ Cole." Mel shook her head, frustrated. "Damn it, Vic. Why can't you just _try_ to be the man's friend?"

"Because Cole Hauser is bad news." Vic sighed. Mel had an enormous blind-spot where the strange man she lived with was concerned, and he considered it his duty as her friend to keep an eye on things between the two.

"Face it, Vic, that's jealousy talking. You have _nothing_ on Cole and you never will." That struck Mel as sounding too much as if there was in fact something to be had on him, so she added, "Because there's _nothing_ there." She sighed and shook her head. As annoying as he could be at times, as much as he wanted Cole out of the picture, as frustrated and perplexed as Cole was by him, Vic Bruno was her friend, and she wanted him to stay that way. "Vic, please. I like you a lot, but this thing between you and Cole _has_ to stop. Do _not_ force me to chose between the two you."

"Mel, I'm only trying to protect you."

Mel scowled. She did not want Vic's protection any more than she needed it. "I can protect myself..." she began, trailing off as the front door to the bar opened.

Cole led Lontoria in and, when he saw Vic with Mel, straight towards the apartment stairwell. Vic turned slightly, watching Cole and the young woman. Young _girl_, he corrected himself, doing a double-take. Whoever she was, she probably was not old enough to vote yet. And she was incredibly anxious over something; her every move telegraphed that to the experienced Detective. When she saw him staring at her, she tugged anxiously at the collar of her turtleneck and looked up at Cole, obviously waiting for him to react before she did.

Cole smiled carefully. "Oh, hello, Vic."

"Cole." Vic nodded almost imperceptibly. "Who's your friend?"

"Jamie Swinson..." Lontoria provided, not liking the look this man was giving her friend. Her initial suspicion was confirmed. Jealousy.

Vic nodded. "Shouldn't you be in school, Jamie?"

"We're on a break." She scowled at him wondering if he was always this nosy or only in matters involving Cole.

Vic nodded, but frowned. This girl was about as forthcoming as Cole and Mel. And she still appeared distinctly unsettled, more so since noticing Vic. 

She looked at Cole. "Can we go upstairs now?"

"Of course we can." He nodded and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Mel, I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, Cole." Mel nodded. "Jamie."

"She's a little young for him, isn't she?" Vic muttered to Mel as Cole and Lontoria resumed their interrupted trip across the bar. Although tone and phrasing were less than friendly, he was pleased that Cole had started to take an interest in someone other than Mel. He just hoped the pretty young lady was legal.

Mel glared at him, shaking her head at Cole who was looking at her questioningly. Lontoria, who obviously _did_ get Vic's meaning, shook her head and tugged sharply at his sleeve. 

"Come on, Daggon..." she muttered.

Cole nodded and started unlocking the stairwell door. He turned when he heard a startled shout from Mel. Several people, dressed in black and heavily armed, were pouring into the bar, looking for all the world like an over-armed SWAT team. Cole started forward at the same moment as Vic rose from his stool and started towards them. One of the men raised a modified gun and shot Cole, who dropped to the floor, shivering violently.

"Daggon..." Lontoria muttered, running to him.

"Go... Go..." he gasped, knowing that these men, these _aliens_, were after her. They had to be. Obviously she had been very much mistaken about who was after her and why.

She nodded and started to rise, only to be shot with a second round from the weapon. With a cry, she collapsed on top of Cole. They ignored Vic and started towards Cole and Lontoria.

"Mel, get down!" Vic shouted as Mel raced across the bar towards them. 

Mel crouched next to Cole, checking his pulse because she could not think of anything else _to_ do. "Come on, Cole... Get _up_!"

"Mel..." Cole groaned, struggling without luck to move. "Get out. Get Vic and get out."

"Vic, get out of here!" Mel shouted, shaking her head desperately at him. They were aliens, had to be, and they seemed less than interested in Vic. The odds were good that he would be allowed to flee as long as he did not do anything stupid.

Vic, apparently, did not realize this, because he was doing his best to stop them from advancing any farther into the bar, shouting at Mel to get out while he leveled his gun at them. A small female stepped forward, removed the gun from his hand and casually tossed him across the bar.

"Vic!" Mel shouted, freezing, unsure what to do next. She could never fight them, could not protect Cole. She _might_ be able to get Vic out, but was not sure if she should move him, given the fact that he had just been tossed twenty feet through the air and into a wall.

"Take her, too..." the woman who had thrown Vic ordered, pointing.

"No..." Cole groaned, trying to push Mel away. "Go, Mel..."

Mel nodded and started to rise, but was quickly overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers. She fought as well as she could, injuring more than one of her attackers, but she could not fight the force of the stun-gun that was applied repeatedly to her chest and stomach. She slumped to the floor, unconscious.

The woman who seemed to be in charge, nodded her approval. "Take them..." she ordered, giving Vic a last look. He was conscious, but dazed. If she had not been under orders, she might have killed him for the fun of it, but that would have made Zin quite furious with her. Intelligence identified him as a friend of the Tracker's human mate, a homicide Detective, _not_ a man whose death would go unnoticed. 

Two men crossed the bar, one swiftly kicking Vic in the ribs on the way. They bent over and each picked up one of the downed Cirronians, slinging them over their shoulders. A third picked up Mel and slung her over his shoulder, then the entire group left, leaving Vic alone. Groaning in pain, Vic pulled out his cell-phone and dialed 911, reporting on what had just happened as best as he could. As the haze that clouded his brain cleared, it was replaced by anger. 

Obviously he had been right to suspect Cole of being a dangerous influence in Mel's life. What had he gotten her involved with? Whatever it was, Cole had a lot to answer for, and Vic planned on making him suffer for what had happened to Mel.

As the paramedics bandaged his head and checked his abdomen for injuries, he did his best to describe the tactics of the team who had taken the three, mentioning their use of tazer-like weapons on Cole and the girl, and the stun-guns that had been used against Mel. In his opinion, and the officer taking his report agreed, the group worked more like a paramilitary unit than normal criminals.

"This makes no sense..." the responding officer muttered as he documented it. "Were they involved in anything illegal?"

Vic nodded gingerly, his head aching. "Hauser might have been. I've had my eye on him for months now."

"What in the bloody hell?" Gwen gasped as she walked into the bar and was confronted by a scene of organized chaos, with police swarming everywhere, CSIs sweeping the barroom, medics patching Vic up. "I leave them alone for twenty minutes..." she muttered, shaking her head and closing her eyes, her stomach sinking. She had heard most of what Vic had told the officer. To Gwen who knew more than those around her gave her credit for, it was clear what had happened here. She hurried over to Vic, doing her best to look clueless. "Are you hurt, Detective Bruno? What happened?"

"Cole..." he muttered, shaking his head in disgust.

"Is Mister Hauser hurt?" Gwen asked. "Where's Miss Porter?"

"Long story, Gwen."

"Looks like you've got some broken ribs, too..." the paramedic announced.

"Concussion?" Gwen asked, looking at Vic's eyes. "Pupils look like it."

The medic looked surprised, but nodded confirmation. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Gwen repeated.

"Uh, we're still piecing that together..." Vic said evasively, not wanting to upset the girl.

Gwen shook her head, looking around. "This is unbelievable."

"I am going to _kill_ Cole!" Vic snapped.

Gwen turned to face him, her expression neutral. "Why would you want to do a thing like that, Detective?"

"For getting Mel involved in this... whatever it is!"

Gwen crouched in front of him, speaking in low tones and keeping her voice free of emotion. "Detective Bruno, at the moment you're under a lot of stress, physically as well as psychologically. Between that and your concussion, you may well be seeing things that aren't there. You have a habit of doing _that_ anyway, at least where Mister Hauser and Miss Porter are concerned." She lowered her voice further and leaned closer to Vic, imparting him with some friendly advice. "Acting rashly would be... inadvisable. You're liable to... _regret_ your actions." There was nothing friendly about the smile that Gwen flashed the Detective.

Vic shifted backwards, startled. Had Gwen just _threatened _him? No, Gwen was more right than she had known. He was seeing things that were not there, acting paranoid. After all, what possible reason would the girl have to _threaten_ him. He smiled reassuringly at her and patted her shoulder. Gwen left his side and asked one of the officers if it would be okay for her to start straightening up. The Officer checked with the Detective in charge, then gave Gwen the okay.

Gwen kept herself busy, straightening chairs and table, until everybody had left. As the door clicked shut, she pulled out her cell-phone and dialed quickly.

"Andy Cutter."

Gwen did not bother to mask the urgency in her voice. "We need to talk. Now."

There was a slight pause, and she heard a sigh. "I can be at your place in an hour."

"Yes. I'll be waiting." 

She hung up without bothering to say good-bye. Her mind moved rapidly, connecting dots to form an outline and then filling in the outline based on the things she had overheard Vic tell the officer. There was no doubt in her mind what had happened or who had been responsible for it. It was a connection that Vic, as smart as he was, would never have made, in spite of his unwillingness to trust Cole. That had always been there, and Gwen had always assumed that it was just a matter of jealousy. Threatening to _kill_ him, though? That was... not good. Vic Bruno would bear careful watching, Gwen decided as she left, securely locking the door behind her and putting up the 'closed' sigh.

***

When Cutter let himself into her apartment, she was waiting with two drinks mixed and sitting on the coffee-table in small brandy-snifters. As was typical when she was alone or entertaining Cutter, the overhead light was off and the room was illuminated by a handful black-lights. The drinks glowed iridescent blue in that light. She handed him one wordlessly and half-drained her own.

"You know what happens when you do that to yourself..." he told her gently, sipping his own and nodding in approval at the taste. Almost like going home. "Not bad for a human. Almost." He sat down next to her on the couch. "Tell me."

"Cole Hauser, Mel Porter, and Jamie Swinson were abducted today from the Watchfire by a heavily-armed group." She drained her glass, knowing full well that she had just consumed an amount of the drink that would have left a human twice her weight with a nasty hangover. "A man who witnessed the attack said that a tazer was used against them, but we both know better. I don't think they were human, Kettai." She regarded him searchingly, waiting for his reaction both to the pronouncement and to her use of his real name.

Kettai listened, frowning, then shook his head. "I can't help, Gwynlyn."

"You _have _to." The glass shattered in her hand, causing her to wince more from the sound than from the glass biting into her palm.

"Give me your hand." Kettai gently took her hand in his and pulled out the shards of glass. He lightly touched her throat, then covered her hand with his own, healing it in a golden glow.

Gwen held onto his hand long after the healing was finished. "Please, Kettai. These people... Mister Hauser, Miss Porter... they're my _friends_. Now, I know that you've got your little... Prime Directive thingy that you need to abide by, but I also know that if anyone can help them, it _is_ you."

He shook his head apologetically. "I am _powerless_."

Gwen wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and drew him close, lowering her voice. "I may not know much, Kettai, but I do know _you_. And you are seldom powerless in _anything_." She reached out, caressed his throat, dropped her hand to his chest, and brought it to a rest over his heart. "My friend..." she whispered, pleading. Although the action was more physical than most of Gwen's interactions with the opposite sex, it was less flirtatious and more direct by far. It was the same gesture he invoked when making a point about their friendship, and their love, for each other.

He sighed and imitated the motions that Gwen had just gone through. "Your life-force is very beautiful, Gwynlyn. Very dark, but very beautiful."

She covered the hand on her heart with her own. "Help me, Kettai. You owe me this much."

"I owe you this and more." He nodded, agreeing to help her. "If my superiors find out..."

"They won't from me."

He smiled and nodded. He lifted his hand and fingered the silver triangle that hung from her right ear. "I'll do what I can."

"Thank you." Gwen smiled and rose to clear away the broken glass on the coffee-table.

"They don't know about you, do they, Gwynlyn?" Kettai asked, leaning back and sipping his drink.

"No, they do not." Gwen regarded him cautiously.

"They won't from me." He smiled at her and drained his glass. "I should be going."

"Thank you so much, my friend."

He smiled and lightly patted her shoulder. "Be calm. I will do what I can." He turned and started for the door.

"Can I help?" Gwen offered.

He considered, then shook his head. "It is never a wise thing to walk into the Lion's Den."

"Unless you are prepared to be the lion."

He smiled faintly at her allusion to his pacific personality and her own, more martial, one. "My lioness, alone, I stand less chance of being noticed. By Zin _and_ by the SST."

Gwen sighed and nodded, hating how powerless she felt. "Light of the gods guide your path..." she muttered as he left. Shaking her head, she poured herself another drink, not caring _how_ felt in the morning.


	3. Class Reunion

****

Chapter 3 -- Class Reunion

Mel came to with a groan.

"Mel?" Cole's anxious voice asked.

"Cole?" Mel asked, only faintly aware of her surroundings. Her stomach and chest hurt, her arms were behind her back, and her wrists were bound, tightly and painfully. "What happened?" She opened her eyes, but the light hurt her head, so she closed them quickly, groaning.

"Are you hurt?" Cole asked anxiously.

"No..." Mel shook her head and tried to open her eyes again. The pain was not as bad this time, but she found herself wishing that she had not opened them. They were in a large, empty warehouse, bound standing to metal support-beams. Cole stood more or less opposite her, his face bleak. Lontoria was nearby, still looking dazed, as if she was not entirely aware of her surroundings. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know..." Cole admitted with a sigh. "They used liquid nitrogen pellets against us. I think they must have affected her more strongly." 

He suppressed his own confusion at the fact for the time being. Since she was no longer possessed of a fully Cirronian life-force, it was odd that they had affected her at all. Of course, getting shot in the chest with liquid nitrogen, no matter how small the amount, could easily have been fatal to a human. Perhaps there was just enough Cirronian in her to protect her from that fate without allowing her to recover as quickly as another Cirronian would have.

Mel sighed and nodded. "Um, can you use your powers to get us out of here?"

He shook his head, frustrated. "I think the warehouse is built on loadstone. My powers are useless here."

She sighed and shook her head. "Right, loadstone. Cirronian Kryptonite."

A low chuckle from the other end of the warehouse caught their attention. "That's very good, Miss Porter. _Very_ funny."

"Zin..." Mel replied in a low, angry voice, shaking her head.

"You sound surprised, my dear." He smiled at Mel and moved closer to her, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Hmm..." he murmured, looking her over.

Cole frowned, not liking the close scrutiny that Zin was paying Mel. It made him nervous for no good reason that he could identify. "Leave her alone, Zin."

Zin turned, now regarding Cole thoughtfully. "Why? What is she to you? Not your mate, I see, in spite of what I thought." He looked at the Cirronian, genuinely curious. "What is she to you, Daggon?"

"She's my friend. You remember that, don't you, Zin? Friendship?"

Zin smiled and shook his head, clearly amused. "Thought you might have learned your lesson on that, old friend. Even when your friends stay true..." He pointed to Lontoria. "They _still_ get you into trouble." He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Let them go, Zin. You have no use for them, so just let them go." Cole's voice took on a pleading edge.

"Ah, but you're _wrong_, Daggon. I _do_, in fact, have plans for Lontoria." He beamed at the Cirronian woman who was finally beginning to come around. "_Great_ plans..." he purred, savoring the words and the ideas behind them. With Lontoria by his side anything was possible.

Cole shook his head. "She'll never cooperate."

Zin smiled broadly at Cole. "Oh, but she will."

Mel found herself wanting nothing more than to get loose and wipe that smug grin from his face. He was the bad guy. He had no right to be so... charming. If her first meeting with him had not involved her own murder, she would have taken one look at him and summed him up as a great guy. She would have been hard-pressed to accept him as the evil jerk she knew him to be.

"I won't..." Lontoria managed. She was still feeling weak, but she was strong enough to refute Zin's assertion. "I didn't last time, I won't this time."

Zin walked over to her, standing less than six inches from her face. "We'll see. You _might_ when you find out what I'm willing to offer in return."

"Last time you offered me the world and I said no..." Lontoria pointed out. "Find something worth more?"

"Actually, yes." Zin smiled and nodded. "Thanks in no small part to Daggon here."

Lontoria frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I _know_ what you gave up to save his life, Lontoria." Zin nodded knowingly. "I can give you your powers back."

"Only time can do that..." Lontoria muttered, shaking her head. She felt her determination wavering and shook her head firmly. Not only was it impossible, it was a deal with the devil. "No." She shook her head again. "No."

Zin reached out to touch her cheek, but she jerked her head away. He shrugged and shook his head. "The offer stands, my dear. I'll arrange a demonstration later, if you'd like. Proof that I can give you what I offer."

Mel watched nervously, wondering how far Lontoria might be willing to go to regain the powers that she had sacrificed to save Cole's life. Life for a Cirronian who had once been a respected scientist, stuck in the body of a teenager, without even her old powers as an offset, must have been hellish. Cole watched, too, curious about Zin's claim, but not at all worried that Lontoria might accept. She had always been ambitious and was occasionally selfish, it was true, but she would never stoop to dealing with Zin in something like this. Especially not under coercion.

Zin turned his back on Lontoria and started towards Cole again, addressing Lontoria as he walked. "Think about it. You aren't the only Cirronian in my employ, you know, and the other wouldn't hesitate to do what I ask of you."

"Yet you haven't asked him to, yet..." Lontoria pointed out, shaking her head. An ironic smile stole across her face. "Because you can't. He doesn't have what I have, the beauty and innocent quality that this body gives me, the miraculous recovery from cancer, the spotless background. You _need_ me, Zin, or I wouldn't be here and we _both_ know it."

Zin paused and turned to stare at her, smiling again. "You always _did_ think like a Vardian..." he told her with obvious approval. "Can't see why your own government didn't see it until it was too late." He shook his head and shrugged. "Where were we, Daggon? You were asking me to let the human go, right?"

Cole nodded tersely. "Please, Zin..." he said softly. "You have no use for her. She's never done you any harm... Her only crime is caring for me."

Zin nodded, conceding each point. "True enough, but she might be valuable in securing _your_ good behavior." He smiled and shrugged. "I have plans for you as well..." He glanced at Mel again. "Of course, those plans just _might_ include her. Hard to say just yet."

Mel blinked, startled and confused. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Zin walked over to her, his smile taking on a whimsical look. "All will be revealed in the fullness of time, my dear. Patience."

Mel struggled against her bindings, lunging at Zin.

"_And_ a fighter." He nodded approvingly at Cole. "I always did admire your taste in women." He indicated Mel and then Lontoria, smiling widely. He walked over to Cole again. "Rather like a class reunion, isn't it? Lontoria and I are the only two people you used to call friend. And you and Lontoria are the only two people who ever really understood me." He sighed. "Well, _Lontoria_ understood me... Sorry it had to be this way, you know."

Cole nodded impassively. "I... I know you are, Zin." He sighed, wishing that he could have understood his old friend half as well before, when it would have made a difference. Instead, he had allowed Zin to play on all of his weaknesses. Zin had used Rhee to test the wormhole _knowing_ that Cole would feel compelled to follow the man who had killed his family, which would give the others a chance to escape as well. He had even offered Cole the chance to leave once he had recaptured Rhee, going so far as to secure Mel as a hostage and offering her life in return for Cole's departure. When he had refused to go, Zin had made good on his threat to kill Mel, but, having spent as much time with Cirronians as he had, Zin _had _to have known that Cole would be able to reverse the drain. "I understand..."

"Do you?" Zin regarded him, no mirth in his expression, only curiosity.

Cole stared at the floor as he spoke. "You gave me a chance to leave after I had Rhee, and an incentive. You killed Mel in such a way that you _knew_ I would be able to bring her back. You were buying time. Then you fled. All to avoid confronting me." He looked up at Zin. "You didn't want to kill me..."

Zin nodded shortly. "A moment of weakness which has cost me dearly."

"Let Mel and Lontoria go, Zin. Please."

He shook his head. "You turned down the last favor I offered you. That moment was the last of our friendship. I owe you nothing."

"And, of course, any chance of you displaying anything resembling decency is out..." Mel spat.

Zin regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded matter-of-factly. "Ask him to explain Vardian nature to you some time. We're not exactly known for being trustworthy or compassionate."

"For a long time, though, you _were_ different..." Cole told him gently.

Zin turned, startled. He frowned and shook his head. "I was young and foolish then."

"You were an idealist, Zin, but never a fool. Not until _much_ later." Cole looked into his old friend's eyes and was sure he saw shame there. "It's not too late, Zin."

Zin blinked, startled that he had actually allowed regret to begin to creep into his mind. "Yes, Daggon, it _is_ too late. For all of us." He shook his head and turned his back on his old friend.

"Let Mel and Lontoria go, Zin..." Cole repeated. "You take whatever reprisals you think need to be taken, but you take them on _me_. Let them go. Please..." He shook his head, his eyes shining with unshed tears at the thought of being the cause of death of the only two women he had cared about since the death of his wife. "This is between _us_. They're innocent."

"She _may_ be." Zin jerked his head at Mel. "But Lontoria is as guilty as I am, just another rogue scientist turned traitor."

He turned and smiled at the brilliant scientist who had, in a moment of anger over the withdraw of her funding and suppression of her research, turned around and sold that research to the Vardian government. Every government in the Migar alliance had agreed that it was dangerous technology, too readily convertible into military technology. Lontoria had insisted that her discovery could only be used in the development of a new propulsion system, had ignored the combined voices of the Council _and_ the scientific community. When the Vardians had shown an interest, she had jumped at the chance to prove herself while retaliating against her own people. 

"She was young and foolish." Cole sighed and shook his head. "Your people misled her."

"_We_ misled her?" Zin scoffed, shaking his head and turning to face Cole again. "Daggon, Daggon, Daggon. No..." he laughed softly. "She misled _herself_."

"He's right, Daggon..." Lontoria said softly, shaking her head. "I _knew_ what the Vardians were capable of, just as well as any of us. I deluded myself because I was _angry_." She sighed, feeling horribly empty and alone.

Zin nodded in agreement. "See, Daggon? She knew exactly what she was doing. I was frankly surprised that you had spared her, but, then, you always did have a soft spot in your heart for beautiful females." After a brief pause, he added mildly, "Of _any_ species, it would seem."

Mel was getting sick of Zin's ramblings. "So let me get this straight, Zin. Your diabolical plan this time is to... _talk_ us to death?"

Zin chuckled and nodded approvingly. "I _really_ like this one, Daggon." He looked at Cole, momentarily thoughtful. "And she makes you happy. Damn shame neither of you is walking out of this."

"Zin, let her go..." Cole pled quietly. "Let them both go. Now that you have me, you don't need them. Not Lontoria, definitely not Mel."

"Cole, reasoning with this madman is _not_ going to work!" Mel told him, shaking her head in disbelief.

Zin glanced at her. "You wound me..." he said in a flat, emotionless voice.

"Oh, I'd _like_ to wound you..." Mel snarled.

"Mel, this isn't helping..." Cole said gently.

"Neither is you trying to _reason_ with him!"

"Zin, let the human go..." Lontoria said softly. "Whatever you want from the two of us, she is _not_ a part of that."

Cole spared her a grateful glance. "Let Mel go, Zin. Her only crime is caring about me."

"You could be right, Lontoria..." Zin said, ignoring Cole. "_You_ I can use. Her?" He shook his head. "Not someone I can easily control. Still... As I said, to insure Daggon's good behavior, she may have some worth to me." He walked over to Mel, leaning close. "How do you think he'd react if I cut your throat right now?" he breathed in her ear.

Mel jerked her head away, glaring. "I am_ not_ afraid of you!" 

Zin shrugged. "You should be."

"I can't believe I ever considered you intimidating!" Mel snapped, shaking her head furiously. "Why the hell are all the fugitives so scared of you?"

Zin leaned close again. "Do you remember when I sucked the life-force out of your chest?" his voice was chilling as he recalled the memory with obvious pleasure. "Do you remember the pain? Do you remember struggling to hold on to yourself, or even to hold on to the _pain_ as it was gradually, moment by moment, replaced by oblivion? By the knowledge that you were dying?"

Mel could not suppress the shudder that tore through her frame at the memory. She looked up and saw tears in Cole's eyes. 

"That _might_ be why you considered me intimidating, hmm?" Zin asked gently, patting her cheek in an almost fatherly gesture. He lowered his voice until only Mel could hear him. "Miss Porter, I am _not_ a nice man. I am a ruthless, _evil_ man who does not hesitate to take what I want, how I want it. You are only alive today because I needed time to escape. Nothing resembling mercy has _ever_ stayed my hand. Yes, I can be very pleasant company when I so desire, but I am _not_ a nice person. Do we understand each other?"

Mel nodded, not looking him in the eyes. His voice as he had casually admitted that he was an evil bastard had left her feeling weak in the knees and more than a little scared for Cole's safety.

"Good." Zin nodded, his smile returning. "I'm glad."

"Did you _really_ consider him your friend once?" she muttered, looking at the Vardian.

Zin nodded shortly. "Yes."

"Then how could you betray him like that?" Mel shook her head, confused. Zin was a cold, ruthless killer. He was also the kind of man that Cole had been able to grow attached to. Could he really be both? A good friend _and_ an evil bastard?

"Simple. He never would have allowed the escape to occur if he had been at Sar-Top." Zin shrugged. "I suppose I should have known better than to expect him to return once he had Rhee, but I _did_ try."

Mel frowned. "You evil, unprincipled son of a bitch. He was your _friend_!"

"Yes. On both counts." Zin shrugged again. "He understands, though. Don't you, Daggon?"

"Yes." Cole nodded sadly. "I understand."

"In fact, I'm willing to bet that he even feels sorry for me..." Zin continued.

"Yes." Cole nodded again. "You never did see the Light."

Zin's smile faded. "And _you_ were blinded by it..." he spat. "_Years_ of planning went into the escape! I planned it right under your nose, and you only saw what you _wanted_ to!" he half-shouted.

Cole nodded, his sorrow giving way to shame. "Yes." He did not bother trying to control the tears this time. Angry and ashamed, he admitted, "I _should_ have known better."

Zin nodded, frowning and turning away, unwilling to see the Cirronian cry. "I warned you more than once. _Never trust a Vardian!_ If you had _listened_..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "You brought all of this on yourself, Daggon."

Cole bowed his head. "I know, Zin. I do."

The Vardian glared at him for a moment, then swept wordlessly from the warehouse.

Mel stared at Cole, amazed. She had never realized before that he actually _blamed _himself for the escape, although, looking back, he had done many things to indicate that this might be the case. Mel had simply never made the connection. 

"Cole, the escape was _not_ your fault..." she told him, gently but firmly, guilty for not having known that he felt that way before.

He looked up at her, shame clearly written in his eyes. He shook his head. "It was, Mel, in so many ways. It happened on my watch. The first to escape was a prisoner under my direct supervision. If I had sent another Tracker instead of following myself... that was a breach of protocol, Mel. Stupid, a mistake. Not the only one, either. Believing Zin, going through the wormhole myself... The escape should never have happened, Mel. I _allowed_ it." 

He dropped his eyes and stared at the ground, unwilling to look at her. She had been so angry in the past over the actions of the fugitives and he was sure that, knowing the truth, she would place the blame for all of those actions on him.

"Cole, no..." Mel muttered, shaking her head. "You trusted Zin and he tricked you. That is _not_ your fault."

Cole looked up at her, struggling to compose himself. "And every time he's tricked me since, Mel? London? The seminar? Are those my fault?"

She shook her head. "Of _course_ not."

"They are, Mel. It isn't _just_ that I'm too trusting." All Cirronians were trusting creatures. Other species called it a flaw, contended that it made them bad at certain jobs. Jobs like being a Tracker or a prison Warden. Still, Cirronians were often drawn to such jobs, which seemed a natural extension of their innate sense of justice and order. And, trusting or not, they were smart enough to learn from their mistakes. Or, at least, most were. Cole was starting to wonder about himself. "That might explain the first time, but not the others." He sighed and looked up at her. "I walk into traps _all the time_. I bring _you_ into traps! Time after time, and I never learn..." While walking into traps himself might only have been gullible, putting Mel in such danger was just short of unforgivable. He shook his head and quietly repeated, almost to himself, "I never learn." He shook his head again and lapsed into silence.

Mel sighed softly. She had never realized how much guilt Cole carried around with him. He always knew when she was upset, always tried to be there for her, and she had never even realized how much pain he was in, let alone been able to _help_ in any way.

"Cole..." Mel began gently. He did not even react. "Cole, please..." she said. "You can't blame yourself for all the problems of the universe. You've done so much good." When that did not produce a response either, Mel kept trying, listing off the names of all the people that Cole had saved, the good he had done, talking about how sweet and gentle and kind he was, how intelligent and insightful...

Lontoria watched without contributing as Mel tried to rouse the Cirronian from his depression. He had been right, she _did_ like Mel. A lot. She was impressed by the human's ability to put aside her own fear and concerns to try to help her friend. From her tone and manner, it was obvious that she cared for him very much indeed, would have done anything for him. Unfortunately, though, he seemed to be beyond caring, not even noticing Mel's increasingly distraught tone. And, clearly, Mel was getting frustrated with herself over her continued inability to move him. Still, Lontoria knew that if there was one thing that _could_ get his attention, it _was_ Mel.

She spoke, then, in Cirronian. "Hwa an, Daggon, etten. Ni ah-ahhh." _Daggon, you're scaring her. Stop it._ Her tone was firm, her inflection turning a request into a command.

Cole's head snapped up at the sound of the first Cirronian words he had heard in months. They were awkward and breathy coming out of her human vocal equipment, vocal equipment simply not suited to the language. The effect was not unlike the overly simplistic tones and phrases that Cirronian parents used when dealing with their newborns. Under other circumstances, it would have been almost laughable to hear it coming from a woman of Lontoria's intelligence and stature. She was right though, of course, and he nodded wearily. 

"I'm sorry..." he said simply, meaning it for both Mel and Lontoria. "So sorry for all of this." He looked at Lontoria. "I've failed as your guard and as your friend. If I had succeeded at either, you would not be here now. Forgive me."

"Forgive me for putting you in this position..." Lontoria replied simply, sadly.

Mel frowned. These were starting to sound like final good-byes. She wondered fleetingly what Lontoria had said to Cole that had gotten so much more of a reaction than her own pleas. She was not entirely sure that she _wanted _to know. Obviously it had not been meant for her ears, or Lontoria would have spoken in English. Whether it was a declaration of love or of the certainty that they were going to die here, it was not Mel's business.

"Can we stop playing the blame-game?" she suggested, renewing her struggles against the restraints.

Cole seemed not to have heard. "Mel, I know that all you ever wanted was a normal, happy life. You have had to face so much evil since I came into your life." He closed his eyes. "You were dead in my arms and I told you that I was sorry... I knew that it wasn't enough. It isn't enough now, either, but it's all I can do." He opened his eyes, looking at her. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't, Cole."

"Mel..." he breathed, looking into her eyes with so much love and despair that it was almost heartbreaking to see. The look conveyed everything he held in his heart, things that he could not even articulate in his own mind.

She shook her head again. "Everything that has happened to me... none of it is your fault. I _agreed_ to help you, knowing what could happen. Do _not_ blame yourself!" She shook her head again, staring into his eyes, hoping that he could see in hers how much she loved him. "We're in this together, Cole. Friends. Partners."

Cole smiled uncertainly, heartened by Mel's words. It was not that he blamed himself any less for everything that Mel had suffered. It was simply that the knowledge that Mel considered them partners and friends was very uplifting, very hopeful. He smiled with a little more certainty and nodded, adoring his passionate, stubborn human friend more than ever.

Mel smiled back, nodding firmly. "Now, let's talk about how the hell we're going to get out of here..." she suggested.


	4. Unexpected Ally

****

Chapter 4 -- Unexpected Ally 

"Maybe if we dislocate our thumbs..." Lontoria suggested. "There was this human, Harry Houdini..."

Mel shook her head. "I'm not sure if that would actually work, though. I mean... Vic always said that it was just one of those common beliefs, but it doesn't really--" 

There was a loud popping sound and a low groan from Cole's direction, causing Mel to wince. He stood with his eyes closed, a look of combined pain and concentration on his face. Finally, he shook his head.

"No. They're still too tight."

"I can't _believe_ you did that!" Mel gasped. "God, Cole, are you okay?"

He nodded, opening his eyes. "Yes, Mel, fine." He frowned. "But they're still too tight."

"Well, of course they are! You really think a _Vardian_ is going to invent restraints that are _easy_ to get out of?" The inquiry was followed by a low chuckle.

Mel craned her head around, startled. The voice was unmistakable. "Andy?"

He nodded and approached her, twirling something in one hand. "Miss Porter. Good news; Cavalry's here."

Cole frowned. "You know him?"

Mel nodded. "Andy Cutter. Gwen's boyfriend." She frowned at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I had an... intelligence report that a group including Daggon here had been taken by force from your bar, Miss Porter." As he spoke, he quickly released Lontoria, who retreated a few steps, eyeing him cautiously.

Mel shook her head, confused. Intelligence report? When only they and Vic had been in the bar? And what was a college student doing on the receiving end of intelligence reports anyway? "And..." she said slowly, her tone and expression almost demanding clarification of the statement.

He stepped behind her and released her. "And I looked into it, found out that Zin was involved... " He walked over to Cole next, releasing him as he continued speaking. "And thought it would be only right to help a fellow employee of the Migar Security Council." He turned his attention from Mel to Cole. With a grin and a bow, he introduced himself, "Andross Kettai, SST."

Cole's confused expression was replaced by a grin. "I didn't know that the Taskforce was active here."

"Well, it's a fairly new development." He shrugged. "Last hundred years or so. We should go."

"Taskforce?" Mel demanded, not moving. She looked from Cole to Kettai. "What the hell is going on here?"

"He's a member of Migar's Special Security Taskforce..." Lontoria supplied quietly. "Like your CIA."

Kettai nodded. "Now, we really should go before the guards wake up."

"How many guards?" Cole asked, following.

"Five Vardians and an Enixian."

"You took out five Vardians and an Enixian by yourself?" Mel asked, shaking her head. She had always considered him very mild-mannered, not a fighter. Still, _Cole_ would have been hard-pressed to achieve a feat like that.

He shrugged. "What can I say?" he asked with a wide smile, his eyes twinkling.

Mel looked at Cole. "Do you trust him?"

After a few moments of consideration, Cole nodded slowly. "Yes, Mel."

"Uh, not to doubt your judgment, but... why?"

Cole shrugged. "Well, he's Cirronian, Mel, and not one of the fugitives. He _must_ be a member of the Taskforce or he would _not_ be on earth now."

"If you say so..." Mel shrugged and started towards the door, stopping long enough to glare at Kettai. "If you try _anything_..." she began, wondering if he had been using Gwen to get to Cole or if their relationship was coincidence.

He spread his hands in surrender, his smile widening. "I understand, Miss Porter, and I promise to be a good boy. This way..."

Cole stared at the unconscious guards on the ground outside of the warehouse. "I wish I had my Collector..." he muttered.

"Catch!" Kettai called cheerfully, winging his at Cole who caught it instinctively. "Have fun."

Cole stared at him for a moment, shaking his head, before he began Collecting the life-forces of the unconscious fugitives.

As Kettai kept a lookout for others, Mel caught him by the arm and drew him aside. "Does Gwen know about you?"

He tilted his head thoughtfully at her for a moment before speaking. "Gweny is aware that there is more to me than meets the eye, yes. She believes I work for the government." It was, technically, true, and Kettai continued before Mel could press for answers on that point. "My mission parameters here do not concern her. She knows nothing of our greater purpose."

Mel nodded, wondering if Gwen had picked up her habit of not asking questions from dating Kettai. "Does she... know about Cole?"

"I have never mentioned it to her, nor she to I. I see no reason why a girl of Gweny's position and occupation _should_, but you would have to ask her." He shrugged blithely. "She's an astute girl. She could make both of you a valuable ally."

Mel shook her head. "I think not."

"You think not?" he repeated. "You think she would not be a worthy ally or you think you will not tell her?"

"I won't tell her."

He shrugged again. "As you would have it, Miss Porter."

"What are you doing on this planet? Is it related to Cole's presence here?"

He shook his head. "Not at all, no. As to our actual purpose here... well, I _could_ tell you..."

"But then you'd have to kill me?" Mel guessed, shaking her head.

"Oh, good heavens, no, Miss Porter! We aren't barbarians. I would, however, have to install a neuro-inhibitor to prevent you from repeating what I had told you. You would _not_ enjoy it very much."

"I'm done here..." Cole informed Kettai, joining them. "Let's go."

Kettai glanced over Cole's shoulder at Lontoria. "You seem to have forgotten one, Daggon."

Cole ignored the comment. "Let's go..." he repeated.

Kettai shrugged and ushered them into his waiting car. He drove them to a suburb outside of the city and to a surprisingly secluded house there. The Taskforce had kept itself busy in everything since it had established an office on earth, dabbling here or there in everything from computing to bio-tech research. The resulting money came in very handy at times. Especially times like this. He looked at Mel. "Bring the fugitive inside, please, Miss Porter. Daggon and I have much to discuss, and it is not for civilians or criminals to hear."

Mel looked at Cole uncertainly, waiting for his okay.

"He does still have the Collector..." Kettai pointed out mildly, not in the least offended by Mel's wariness. In fact, he was amused by it.

"It's okay, Mel..." Cole told her gently, smiling reassuringly and touching her throat. When she had gone inside, he joined Kettai, who had walked into the front yard, well away from the house. "What is the Taskforce doing on earth?" he asked softly.

"Does our presence here surprise you?"

Cole considered for a moment, then shook his head. "What surprises _me_, Kettai, is that you intervened at all, yet you claim that Zin is not your object."

Kettai smiled and nodded. "You're right, of course. I could find myself in a great deal of trouble if my superiors found out that I helped you."

"Why, then?"

He looked up at the other Cirronian thoughtfully for a moment, then answered honestly. "Gweny. She cares about both of you."

Cole nodded. "I understand."

Kettai nodded. "I suppose you must. Gwen tells me that you and Miss Porter are very close."

Cole nodded, acknowledging this. "So you rescued us simply to keep Gwen from suffering?"

Kettai nodded again. "Would you do any less for Miss Porter? Even at the risk of losing your job?"

Cole shook his head, smiling. "You're right, of course. But what _are_ you doing on earth?"

"You aren't cleared, Tracker." He frowned apologetically.

"I've grown to care about this species..." Cole began cautiously.

"It's not the habit of the Taskforce to work harm against _any_ species..." Kettai assured him gently, closing the subject. "Tell me about Lontoria."

"What about her?"

"She's one of your fugitives. Why do you harbor her? Why have you not done what you must?"

Cole sighed deeply. "Too many reasons to name, Kettai. She's my friend. She saved my life. She didn't have to, but she did. And she's _never_ aided Zin in his plans here."

He nodded. "I know. And I know what Zin wanted with her now. And that she refused."

Cole was startled. "You have an undercover operative in his organization?"

Kettai nodded impassively. That the Tracker had guessed that they had a Mole in Zin's organization was hardly surprising. The SST was known for its ability to infiltrate various organizations, criminal and legitimate, and to occasionally bend those organizations to their purposes. 

"You should tell me so I don't accidentally Collect him."

Kettai shook his head. "No. Her cover can _not_ be compromised in any way. She must be Tracked and Collected like all the others."

Cole sighed and nodded. "I'll never understand you people."

Kettai shrugged helplessly. "We do what we must. You would do the same if you knew the things we do." He glanced back at the house, to where Lontoria could be seen watching them from a window. "We are aware that your relationship with the traitor Lontoria was less than professional on Sar-Top... Or so the rumor goes."

Cole nodded, sighing. "It's true. We were... close." He looked at Kettai. If anyone could understand, it would be another Cirronian. "There was an empty place in my soul when my wife and daughter died, so much pain. Lontoria could never fill that void, but she eased the pain."

Kettai nodded his understanding. Daggon would never have dishonored the memory of his wife by mating with a woman whom he did not love, but that would not prevent him from seeking solace in her company. Although not romantic, their involvement would have been deeper than most other species were capable of understanding. Cirronian relationships usually were, even those with members of other species. Cirronians just felt things too strongly for anything else to be the case. 

Reflecting on that, though, made Kettai wonder once again about the friendship between the Tracker and the Vardian who had betrayed him. The human concept of 'best friends' barely began to describe it. He knew from reports that Daggon and Zin had been closer, on the surface, than Orsusian twins. The difference in species had not seemed to matter to either, although it was clear to Kettai in retrospect that Zin had probably been ruthlessly exploiting Daggon's Cirronian propensity to trust others rather blindly. 

But that knowledge would not have changed Daggon's reaction to the betrayal. He had been Zin's friend, his brother in spite of the difference in species. Their families had vacationed together, their children had grown up together. Daggon had educated Zin's son, something that few Vardians would have allowed an offworlder to do. The idea of betrayal by such a friend would never have occurred to a Cirronian. The blow must have been a crushing one, but, at the same time, the friendship would, in the Cirronian's eyes, at least, remain. Kettai wondered if Daggon would be able to take Zin when the time came.

But, he reminded himself, Lontoria was the topic of their discussion, not Zin. "Daggon, she _is_ a criminal." 

"She was young and foolish, Kettai, and she is genuinely sorry for her crimes. She'll never commit another. She wants to make amends. She can make a difference on this planet. Besides..." He sighed deeply. "Can there _be_ a worse punishment than being deprived of her Cirronian nature? To go from being what she was to what she is?"

Kettai considered the Tracker's question. Letting her go free was irregular to say the least, and not something that most Cirronians would have considered, but Daggon _did_ have a point. Lontoria was paying for her crimes, and she _could_ make a difference on earth if allowed. Then, too, there was a question of whether Lontoria could truly be said to exist any more now that she was more human than Cirronian. Of course, the powers might come back in time, but there could be no doubt that the experience would have changed her profoundly.

"I leave it to your judgment, Daggon." He nodded his head, deferring to the Tracker in his field of expertise. "I should go now. You and your friends may stay here for as long as you need to, but Zin will seek you out eventually. I cannot interfere further in this matter, but... I wish you all the luck in the world."

Cole smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Kettai." He touched his hand to Kettai's chest and the two exchanged a Cirronian good-bye, hands over each other's hearts. "Good luck to you as well."

Kettai nodded and left. Cole turned and went into the house. Mel was waiting for him.

"Hey." 

"Hello, Mel. Where is Lontoria?"

"She's taking a nap. Still weak from the liquid nitrogen, I think." Mel nodded towards an opened bedroom door where Lontoria could be clearly seen, tossing and turning. "Guess she's having trouble getting to sleep."

"She's worried..." Cole told Mel quietly. "She saw me talking to Kettai. She knows that we were discussing her."

"How?" Mel asked softly, not wanting to disturb the already-disturbed Cirronian in the next room. 

"There was nothing else _to_ discuss, Mel." 

He shrugged, unsure how to explain to her the autonomy between the Taskforce and the Trackers. They would not discuss their respective missions on earth. There was no reason to, quite aside from the fact that, as a member of the Taskforce, Kettai's assignment was likely to be classified beyond Cole's security clearance. Technically, Cole's work was none of Kettai's business either. He had asked about Cole's behavior towards Lontoria simply out of curiosity and his Cirronian sense of right and wrong. It was, perhaps, _the_ defining trait of the Cirronian race, and it pervaded every aspect of their existence in one way or another. Kettai had considered it wrong that a fugitive should be allowed to walk free, so he had asked about it. But even if he had not been satisfied with the answer he received, he could not have done anything about it. Cole's judgment was final in all matters related to Tracking just as Kettai's word would be law in matters pertaining to galactic security. The system, with its lack of redundancy, worked efficiently and admirably.

"Oh... kay..." Mel shrugged acceptance. "Are you going to..."

He shook his head firmly. "No, Mel."

She nodded. "Is Andy... uh, Kettai, going to--"

He shook his head again, smiling faintly. "No, Mel. He does his job, I do mine. He won't interfere, even if it _is_ an unusual show of initiative." 

She nodded. "That's good." She sighed. "You should, uh... tell Lontoria. I think you're right about her being worried."

He smiled and nodded, touching her throat. "You're right, Mel. I'll be right back."

"Yeah." Mel nodded and moved towards the window as Cole walked into the bedroom.

"Lontoria..." he said quietly.

"Daggon." She sat up, watching him with wide eyes. There was no real fear in those eyes, though, just resignation. "Did you and Agent Kettai have a nice conversation?" she asked gently.

Cole nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. "We did, Lontoria. I think that Kettai understands my reasons for sparing you."

She frowned uncertainly. "Then you don't plan on..." 

"Of course not." He shook his head, taking her face in his hands. "Lontoria, nothing has changed. Nothing anyone can _ever_ say is going to change how I feel about you. How could it? You've given up so much for my sake."

She shrugged. "It was the right thing to do, Daggon." She smiled slightly. "Besides, you're my best friend."

He smiled faintly. "Get some rest, Lontoria."

"What about Zin? He'll come after us again."

Cole's smile faded. "Get some rest, Lontoria..." he repeated. "You let me worry about Zin."

She nodded, sighing. "Okay. Let me know if I can help."

He rose. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

She smiled at him. "I appreciate it."

"Get some rest." He smiled at her and closed the door behind him as he went.

Mel smiled up at him as he returned to the living-room. "Hey."

"Hello, Mel."

"She okay?" Mel asked.

Cole nodded. "How are _you_, Mel?" She still looked anxious so he walked over to her and touched her throat lightly.

"I'm fine, Cole. I'll be fine." Mel smiled faintly. A year ago, she would not have imagined herself having that reaction to being abducted by a heavily-armed group and held captive by an evil alien scientist, but now it was just one more fact of her increasingly unusual life.

He smiled and nodded. "I'm glad, Mel."

"What about you?" she asked gently. "Will _you_ be okay?"

He nodded, sitting down. "Yes, Mel. I will be." He sighed. "It... it may take longer, but I _will_ be."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mel asked gently, sitting down next to him.

"Does that help, Mel? Humans always want to talk about things. Does it really help?"

She nodded. "It can, yeah. Sometimes, if nothing else, it just helps you straighten out your own thoughts."

Cole sighed and nodded, closing his eyes. Mel was probably right. She often was in such matters, and if she wanted him to talk about it, he would.


	5. Friends Forever

****

Chapter 5 -- Friends Forever

Cole closed his eyes, considering what to say, where to begin. "Have you ever been betrayed by a friend, Mel?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "No, Cole. Not on anything serious. I can only imagine how painful it must be for you."

"He was... like a brother, Mel. Closer." Cole sighed and buried his face in his hands, thinking. "He told me so many times that I was wrong to trust him so much. 'Daggon, never trust a Vardian', he said. I thought… I thought he was joking." He looked up at Mel, wearing that confused-child expression that she had seen on him so often in their early days together. "I... I would joke back." He shook his head, lost in memories of better days.

It had been the last vacation he would ever take with his family, although he had no way of knowing that at the time. Zin and his family had come along as well; the families always vacationed together. This year it was Orsus so Daggon could teach the children about the native flora there. Of course, very little of their time there was actually dedicated to that pursuit. The children preferred playing tag and exploring, the adults sight-seeing. And Orsus definitely had some beautiful sights to behold.

Zin and Daggon sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean. On the beach below, their wives were talking while watching the children splash in the surf.

"How far along _is_ Etala?" Daggon asked Zin, handing him one of the local drinks, a brightly-colored fermented beverage.

Zin smiled faintly. "You noticed. I didn't think you would."

Daggon shrugged. "I'm a perceptive man, Doctor Zin..." he told the Vardian with a hint of irony in his voice. He knew as well as anyone that most Migar species considered the Cirronian race to be clueless in most regards.

Daggon's persistence in addressing Zin as 'Doctor Zin' was something of a joke between them. As a member of Varda's elite scientific community, the title 'Doctor' was his due, but he had always insisted that Daggon call him Zin, his familiar name. Daggon was, by his nature, playful for a Cirronian, and he had taken to calling the clearly amused Vardian 'Doctor Zin'. When Zin was in a particularly expansive mood, he had called Daggon first 'Professor Daggon' and later, after he had stopped teaching, 'Tracker'.

Zin eyed him thoughtfully for a moment before replying. "Not so perceptive that you've learned that my species is not to be trusted. _Never_ trust a Vardian, Daggon."

Daggon was amused and let it show. "Oh, but I _don't _trust the Vardians, Zin..." he replied cheerfully, taking a long sip of his drink. He preferred it more for its bitter-sweet taste than for its mind-altering properties, but he enjoyed those as well at times. It was a good way to relax after a long, stressful day of Tracking criminals. 

"You still trust _me_..." Zin pointed out.

"You're different, Zin." Daggon's eyes twinkled with amusement. "You're my friend. That changes things. It's forever."

Zin's amusement flickered. "It doesn't change my nature, Tracker."

"You're too serious!" the young Cirronian exclaimed in amused exasperation. "Zin, it's a _vacation._ For once in your life just relax."

"Get me another drink, Daggon, and I'll see what I can do." Zin's amusement was obvious in his voice. As Daggon handed him another drink, he asked, "When are you and _your_ wife going to have a second child?"

Daggon felt his own good cheer wavering and he drained his glass. "We decided it would not be wise. As much as Ashi would love a sibling... with… my job..."

"I _told_ you that you'd never be happy as a Tracker."

"And you were right, Zin, as always." Daggon rose and found himself another drink. "I'm quitting next season."

Zin was surprised. Once idealism had forced the Cirronian into the profession of Tracker, he had assumed that the same thing, coupled with the boy's stubborn-streak, would keep him from leaving it. He had _known_ that Daggon would be unhappy as a Tracker, had done his best to talk his friend out of it. The Cirronian had been amused by his friend's vehemence, going so far as to joke that Zin was engaged in some activity that made it a bad idea for him to have a Tracker as a friend. Zin had laughed that off, secretly troubled, though not because he yet planned anything illegal.

There could be no doubt that a Cirronian, _any_ Cirronian would be miserable as a Tracker. They were simply not prepared by their upbringings to casually accept the amount of brutality that existed in the Migar system. It went against everything they believed to accept violence as anything other than a _very_ rare fluke, an aberration, the exception that proved the rule. Many Cirronians were idealistic enough to assume that they could make a difference as Trackers, but few lasted, and, even after they had returned to their old lives, the damage was done. They became hard, cynical, paranoid for the safety of those they cared about... everything that a Cirronian was _not_ meant to be.

Still, sitting and drinking with his friend, Zin wondered if Daggon might not be one of those few who escaped unscathed. The Cirronian was just resilient enough, just stubborn enough, just blind enough to make it possible. He nodded his approval to Daggon and turned the conversation to lighter matters. Let Daggon have his happy, clueless life with his wife and family, teaching young Cirronians how to be blind to the intrinsic nature of all living things. It would be for the best, he knew, especially once his plans came to fruition.

Of course, once the young Cirronian's family hadbeen murdered, he had nothing _but_ his job as a Tracker, and he threw himself into it with more passion than before, forgetting that he had ever intended to leave the profession. Zin knew that something inside of the Cirronian had died that day and felt nothing but pity for a man that he still considered his friend, in spite of what he was planning. The fire had gone out of the Cirronian's eyes, and out of his soul. All of the old passion for life was gone, replaced by grim determination. Nothing would ever change this, though Zin was pleased when Cole met Lontoria at Sar-Top and regained at least a little of his spark. It gave him hope that, some day, the Cirronian might find another to love, and another reason to live.

It took Cole several moments to become aware that Mel was trying to draw his attention. He had been so absorbed in the memory of their last family vacation together that he had almost forgotten her presence. He had seldom seen Zin's family after that. Zin had seemed to think that seeing his family might cause the Cirronian pain, so their subsequent vacations had been alone together. He found himself feeling sorry for Zin, separated from his family by 100 light-years. Zin had always adored his wife and their offspring, especially his firstborn.

He smiled at Mel. "Sorry, just thinking..." he told her.

"What about?" Mel asked gently.

"Zin. The last vacation we took together before my family was killed."

Mel nodded. "You were really as close as brothers?" she asked.

"Closer..." Cole told her simply. "Friendship is a commitment that Cirronians take very seriously. Certain things are... expected." He shook his head. "Required."

Mel nodded. "I guess Zin didn't take it as seriously..." she said softly.

Cole shook his head. "Vardians have a very strong sense of it as well, Mel, but it's different than the Cirronian sentiment. The only thing stronger than friendship is family, but they hold friendship sacred, Mel, like the Cirronians. For them, it's... a Code of Honor, a brotherhood between two warriors."

"But neither of you were warriors."

"It doesn't matter." Cole shook his head. "We were equals in his mind, so it's the same thing. Zin still abides by the Code."

Mel frowned, startled. "Must be one hell of a twisted Code of Honor."

Cole shrugged. "You would have a problem understanding it, I think. I do, sometimes. But he still abides by it."

"How?" Mel asked curiously.

"He did not kill me when he could have. I doubt he'll ever be able to bring himself to kill me with his own hand, Mel. It would be too much to expect of him."

"So he sends Orsusian and Dessarian assassins after you and it's still all good?" Mel asked, disgusted.

"In his mind, yes. Vardians... they look at life differently." He shrugged. "I doubt it is easy for him, Mel, to try to kill me. I doubt it was easy for him to kill you, knowing that I cared for you. He did everything he could to keep me from forcing the necessity on him, and then he did it in a way that he knew I could reverse. To you it may not seem like much, but to me..." He shook his head, sighing deeply, grateful to Zin that he still had Mel in his life.

Mel sighed and slid a comforting arm around his shoulder. "You still think of him as your friend, don't you, Cole?" she asked gently.

He nodded. "I know it seems strange to you, Mel, but... Friendship for a Cirronian, it's forever, Mel. Nothing can change that."

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, reaching up with her other hand and gently patting his shoulder. 

Cole nodded pensively and covered her hand with his own. "It can be so confusing, Mel. So... so painful."

"I know, Cole." She sighed and nodded. "I wish there was something I could do, some way I could help."

He smiled and nodded. He touched one hand to Mel's heart and the other to her forehead and murmured a phrase in Cirronian. He was expressing his gratitude to her for allowing him to be her friend, and for being there when he needed her, and he wanted to do it well, not in his halting, imperfect English. Mel smiled back at him. It was a beautiful expression whatever it meant. She did not want to ask, doubting that it could possibly seem as beautiful rendered into any human tongue.

They sat smiling at each other for several minutes, enjoying being close, being friends.

When Mel spoke, it was reluctantly. "So... what do we do now? About Zin? Will he just give up?"

Cole sighed deeply. "He _will_ go after Lontoria again, Mel..." he told her quietly. "If only to get to me. He knows how I feel about her."

Mel felt a brief twinge, not of jealousy, but of regret. Whatever they had shared must have been very profound indeed. Cole had told her before that she would not have been able to understand the nature of their relationship and she found herself, not for the first time, wondering about that comment. Had their love been so intense that he did not think she could understand its depth or had their relationship been so totally outside of her frame of reference that she genuinely could _not_ have understood it? Did it even matter right now? She supposed not. There were only two things that mattered right now. In _some_ way, Cole loved Lontoria and Lontoria was in danger. As Cole's friend, Mel felt bound to help her, if only for his sake.

"So what do we do? How do we keep her safe?"

"If Zin truly wants her, Mel, nothing we can do will keep her safe."

Mel sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead, feeling defeated. "So we just give up?"

Cole shook his head. "I can't do that either."

Mel shook her head, not understanding. "Then what?"

"I'll just have to ask Zin to leave her alone." Cole shrugged.

"What?" Mel asked, aghast. "Cole, you can _not_ reason with a man like Zin."

Cole nodded agreement. "No, Mel, I can't. But I might still be able to convince him to leave her alone."

"Cole... _no_." Mel shook her head. His tone, decisive and reasonable, worried her a _lot_. He was, once again, planning on doing one of those things that was as likely as not to get him killed, and reason would be ineffective in trying to deter him. 

Cole smiled reassuringly at her and lightly touched her throat. She was worried, as she so frequently was over his plans. They had fundamentally different ways of looking at the universe and the result was that their plans seldom met with each other's approval. But it hardly mattered. Cole knew Zin; Mel did not.

"I can go to Zin. I can make him promise to leave her alone, Mel..." he assured her. With luck, he could even make Zin promise to leave Mel alone. She had been in so much danger so many times lately.

"Cole that is..." She shook her head. "You can't. It's dangerous. You can't just walk up to Zin, say 'leave Lontoria alone' and expect him to agree."

"He will, Mel. I can make him." Cole nodded confidently. "I know you don't believe me, Mel, but it's true. I can make Zin swear to leave Lontoria alone. I can." He hoped. Maybe he _was_ just being his normal, gullible self, but he firmly believed that it lay in his power to make Zin abandon his plans for Lontoria. 

Mel shook her head. "You can't, Cole."

"Don't try, Daggon, it's too much of a risk..." Lontoria said softly, entering the living-room. "It counts on too many variables that you just _can't_ know, not the least of which is whether Zin ever _really_ considered you his friend."

"I know that he did..." Cole said simply. "And I believe that he still does. I can use that."

"Only if you're right." Lontoria sighed. "Daggon, it's dangerous. It's... beyond dangerous. It's stupid!"

"It's all I have." Cole shrugged. There was simply no other way that he could see. Even Collecting Zin's life-force did not guarantee that Zin's people would leave Lontoria alone. The only way to do that was to get Zin to agree. And he was confident that he could. This time, he thought, it was not blind faith but an understanding of that which made Zin Vardian. They had been friends for many years, and in spite of the betrayal of the later years, Cole remained confident that he still knew Zin the way only one friend can know another.

Lontoria shook her head. "I wouldn't, Daggon. I have to advise against it. I... I don't want you getting hurt because of me." She sighed, scared and frustrated and suddenly wishing that she had stayed on Sar-Top after all.

"I won't get hurt..." he assured her gently, rising and moving in front of her.

"Cole, you don't know that..." Mel protested, rising as well. "This is _Zin_ we're talking about."

"You don't have to be afraid..." Cole assured her quietly. "I promise you. I will take care of both of you."

"Is there any way I can talk you out of this?" Mel asked quietly.

Cole shook his head gently. "No, Mel." As quietly reassuring as he was, he knew that there was every possibility that Zin would have him killed for his troubles. It was a chance he was willing to take, but he would not burden Mel with the knowledge.

Mel looked at Lontoria with wide eyes, silently begging her to do something.

"Daggon..." the Cirronian woman began.

"I have to do this..." Cole told them. He produced Kettai's Collector, handing it to Mel.

"No. Cole..." Mel shook her head, refusing to accept it.

"It's not dangerous..." he assured her gently. 

"You need to have it with you..." Mel retorted, shaking her head.

Cole sighed and placed it on the coffee-table. "Take care of each other." He sighed deeply, regarding the two women. "Mel, if I'm not back by tonight--"

"Don't..." she pled.

"Gwen will know how to get in touch with Kettai. You ask him to do what he can for Lontoria. Give him his Collector back."

"Cole..." she said softly, shaking her head.

He smiled and gently caressed her throat. "Don't worry, Mel. It'll be fine. Take care of Lontoria and stay safe." 

He considered kissing her, but thought better of it. She was worried enough without him doing something that seemed almost like saying good-bye. He pressed his lips to her forehead instead, squeezing her shoulders gently. He smiled at Lontoria, touching his hand to her heart, and then went into hyper-speed before either woman could protest further.

"He's going to get himself killed..." Mel whispered, shaking her head. She felt horribly, mind-numbingly fearful for him.

"Have a little bit of faith in him..." Lontoria suggested gently, smiling at Mel. "He may be an idealist, but he's nobody's fool."

"He trusted Zin..." Mel muttered.

"A lot of people trusted Zin." Lontoria shrugged.

"You?"

She nodded. "I did. He, Daggon, and I were very close friends on Sar-Top." She sat down. "He cares about you very much, you know."

"Cole?" Mel nodded. "Yeah, I... know. He... God, I've never met a man like him before and I never will again. He's... _everything_, you know? Kind, intelligent, gentle, compassionate..." She sighed deeply. "I'm going to miss him so much when he goes..." she said, almost to herself.

"You must love him very much."

Mel regarded her mutely, a shocked expression on her face. She had not realized that she was so _obvious _about her feelings for Cole.

Noting Mel's discomfort and obvious embarrassment at having been 'found out', Lontoria confided quietly, "As do I. But I know that he will never feel the same for me."

"Horrible, isn't it?" Mel asked quietly, feeling that she knew exactly where Lontoria was coming from.

"You think he doesn't love you?" she asked gently, wondering if telling Mel the truth would qualify as betraying Cole's confidence.

"I don't know." Mel shrugged. "I know that what he feels isn't going to keep him from leaving me one day. I know that we can't have a relationship now because of his job." She shrugged again. 

"You think his profession changes the nature of his feelings for you?"

Mel sighed and shook her head. "No." She looked up at Lontoria, who was looking at her with sympathy and understanding. "I don't know. I just wish that he occasionally needed me as much as I sometimes need him. But, I mean... he's Cole. You know? He doesn't _need_ anyone."

Lontoria smiled faintly. "Oh, Daggon needs. More strongly than a human likely ever could."

"I, uh... don't follow..." Mel said softly.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't." Lontoria shrugged. "They say in the Migar Federation that what Cirronians lack in insight they make up for in intensity. We... _feel_ very strongly, even if we don't let it show. And Daggon..." She shook her head. "I've never met a Cirronian that feels as strongly as he does." She shrugged. "You can't always see it, but it's always there, right under the surface. Love, passion, intensity, anguish... anger. He feels those things _so_ strongly..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Forget I mentioned it."

"Lontoria, I'm not even sure _why_ you mentioned it..." Mel told her, shaking her head in confusion. She was vaguely troubled by Lontoria's inclusion of anger into the litany; it was simply not an emotion that she associated with Cole. Mel could not help but wonder what Lontoria knew that she did not. 

Lontoria could see the human's curiosity and could guess its source. "That he's never displayed it doesn't mean he's never felt it. I think that it would be... unnatural for Daggon to feel anything _but_ angry with Rhee for what he did."

  
"I... I can't picture Cole..."

"Ever acting on it..." Lontoria finished for her, nodding. "And he would not, but that doesn't make his anger any less real. He restrains himself as much by necessity as anything. He's very strong, very powerful. Would _you _want to be on the receiving end of his wrath?" She shook her head. "He contains himself because he understands the danger of unchecked emotions."

"What, like Vulcans?" Mel asked, confused and grabbing on to the first analogy that popped into her head.

Lontoria smiled, amused. "No. Cirronians acknowledge their emotions, hold them dear. We just understand that it's not always wise to _act _on them." Her smile faded. "I was angry once, and I acted on it."

"When you sold your research to the Vardians?"

She nodded. "Thousands have died because of that research. More will in the future. Because I was angry. It's causality. Acting on negative emotions can never have anything but negative consequences. So we... psychiatrists have a word for it... we channel our negative energy into a positive outlet. In Daggon's case, coming to Sar-Top to make sure that no one else would suffer as he did. It was his way of fighting off the anger, of keeping himself sane, but... his _eyes_." She pointed to her own for emphasis. "You could _see _it there, all of it. The pain, the anger, the internal struggle. Have you ever looked into those eyes?"

Mel nodded. "They're so expressive. I don't know that I've ever seen _anger_, frustration maybe... and so much _sorrow _sometimes..." she added in a whisper, near tears at the thought of the kind of pain that she had seen in Cole's eyes more than once. Tina, his capture by the government, after the seminar...

"Yeah." Lontoria nodded. "That pain... He's suffered so much in his life. It used to be ever-present." She paused for a moment, not wanting to betray Cole's confidence, but very much wanting Mel to understand. She smiled and took the woman's hand in hers before speaking. "You did what we all doubted anyone ever could. You made him happy again."

Mel blinked, startled. 

Lontoria nodded. "I thank you for that."

Mel started to shake her head, not feeling like she really deserved Lontoria's thanks for something she had not even realized she had done. "I didn't..." she began.

"You made him happy..." she repeated gently. "Zin saw it, too."

"Well, I'm glad that he's happier than he was, I just wish that he could be happier."

"In time I'm sure he will..." Lontoria assured her gently.

"What... what was he like when you knew him? Was he really sad all the time? Angry?" Mel asked, curiously.

"He was what anyone would be after having lost what he did. There were days when the only reason he carried on was the belief that it was his own personal responsibility to make sure that Rhee didn't kill again. Zin and I and some of the others... we did what we could to cheer him, and there were days when it helped. But, always, that sadness remained there, like a dark veil over his face. Sometimes more and sometimes less, but..." She sighed deeply but not unhappily. "Last time I saw him, it was less, and... this time... almost gone. As if... as if a void inside of his soul is being filled. I'm not sure what you've done or how, but you've given him a reason to live other than his job." She paused for a moment. "And for that I thank you."

Mel smiled and bowed her head. "I'd do more if I knew how. He's... a wonderful man."

Lontoria nodded. "Loyal, compassionate, understanding, kind..."

Mel picked up the litany with a smile. "Gentle, loving, trustworthy, brave..."

"And too many other things to name. We could be sitting here with a thesaurus half the night and not come close."

Mel laughed softly. "You're right on that one."

Lontoria smiled at her. "Will you tell me how he's been? What he's been doing?"

"Where to start?" Mel asked, shaking her head. There was just so _much_ to be said.

"Perhaps at the beginning?" Lontoria suggested, smiling.

Mel shrugged and nodded, folding her feet comfortably under herself and starting with their first meeting, drawing amused laughter from Lontoria with her description of the ungainly, incoherent, half-naked, and seemingly quite mad man whom she had dubbed 'Cole'. The two were soon deeply absorbed in Mel's narrative. Lontoria found it comforting to know that, even half a universe away from Cirron, it came back down to the same thing: two souls become one.


	6. Between Friends

****

Chapter 6 -- Between Friends

Cole approached the warehouse silently. A lone Nodulian stood outside, enjoying the light drizzle that had begun to fall. Cole took him completely by surprise, grabbing the criminal's shoulder and leveling a stern gaze at him. Although the Nodulian had no way of knowing it, it was the same expression that he had used with his students when they got unruly and for all its sternness, there was very little of actual menace in the gaze.

"You know who I am?" he asked gently, receiving a horrified nod in answer. He smiled. "Good. I want you to tell Zin that I want to talk to him. _Alone_. Can you do that?"

The Nodulian stared at him, wide-eyed and nodded slowly. "He... he..." He pointed over his shoulder, towards the warehouse, then reached into his pocket and pulled out an inhaler, taking several draws.

"Zin is in the warehouse?" Cole asked gently. When the terrified fugitive nodded, Cole smiled. "Good. Then you can go tell him what I said now."

"N... Now?"

"Yes." Cole nodded gently. "Now. Or I can just--"

"I'll... I'll go tell him!" the Nodulian assured Cole, not even letting him finish the threat. He turned and fled into the warehouse.

"Nodulians..." Cole muttered, shaking his head and pulling his jacket more tightly around himself. He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, waiting. After five minutes that seemed more like an hour to the chilled Cirronian, the Nodulian returned.

"Um... sir?" he asked, emerging from the warehouse and edging away from Cole. "He says to go right in."

"Is he alone?"

The Nodulian nodded.

"Are you lying to me?" Cole asked gently, taking a step towards him.

"No, sir." He shook his head firmly.

Cole eyed him thoughtfully and nodded, satisfied that he was being truthful. "You should go now..." he advised gently. 

The Nodulian did not need to be told twice. He took off at a run. Cole shook his head and cautiously entered the warehouse. Zin did seem to be alone as promised. Except for six bodies stacked near one wall which Zin was staring at reflectively. He glanced up as Cole entered, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

"Just couldn't resist, could you, Daggon?" Zin asked, not turning from the bodies.

"It _is_ my job." Cole cautiously edged closer, still not entirely satisfied that Zin was alone. The warehouse could be crawling with Dessarians and he would have no way of knowing until it was too late.

Zin rolled his eyes in irritation. "Oh, well. They obviously weren't that good at their jobs anyway." He turned his back on them, facing Cole. "How?" he asked quietly. "Those restraints _should_ have held you."

Cole shrugged helplessly. "Maybe they were defective..." he suggested quietly, not wanting Zin to know about Kettai. "Were they under warranty?" he asked.

Zin laughed and shook his head. "A sense of humor, Daggon? This is new. I see these humans are having a positive effect on you."

Cole shrugged.

Zin shook his head, his smile fading slightly. "Yet you still insist on walking into these untenable situations. Daggon..." He sighed and threw up his hands in disgust. "When will you _learn_?"

Cole shook his head. "I have a very good reason for being here."

"Lontoria." Zin shook his head, sighing. "Has reason _ever_ entered into that over-developed, under-utilized brain of yours, Daggon?"

"Not where my friends are concerned, Zin..." he said softly, gazing thoughtfully at the man. "Friendship carries with it certain obligations..."

"Don't preach at me." Zin shook his head shortly. "And don't tell me what I do and don't _owe_ you..."

"You owe me nothing but to hear me out. I expect nothing more." Cole folded his arms over his chest, waiting impassively.

Zin shook his head in mild irritation. "So get on with it, already."

"I want you to promise me that you'll leave Lontoria alone, that you won't try to harm her and that you'll never send anyone else after her. I want you to swear on our friendship."

Zin stared at him, genuinely startled. "We _aren't_ friends any more, Daggon. I gave you a chance to leave with Rhee, it's true, but that was the last moment of our friendship. Now we're enemies."

"I know that, Zin..." Cole said gently, nodding. "We are enemies... _now_. But we weren't always. Please, Zin. Swear to me." He extended his hand hopefully.

"You know..." Zin said thoughtfully without accepting his hand. "My friendship with Daggon isn't the only thing that's dead. I'm beginning to suspect that Daggon himself is no more. Isn't that right, _Cole_?"

Cole made no effort to deny this fact. Maybe Zin was right. Certainly he felt more at home on earth every day, a little more Cole than Daggon with each passing week. "If Daggon is no more, Zin, can Lontoria truly be said to exist either?" he asked, almost pleading his case. "She's as much Jamie now as I am Cole. Jamie, a human _child_. She's not a threat to you. You don't _need_ her. She won't interfere with your plans, I promise. I'll see to that, but _please_..."

"She means that much to you?"

"Of course she does." Cole nodded.

"What if I told you that I'd spare her in exchange for _your_ life?"

"I'd say that if you promise to leave Mel alone as well we have a deal." Cole exhaled deeply, unafraid but more than a little sad. "I'd only ask a chance to say goodbye."

Zin considered the offer, staring thoughtfully at his friend-turned-adversary. Could even a Cirronian be so willing to give his life in exchange for the safety of a pair of friends? Or so trusting as to believe that Zin would not go back on his deal? No, Zin realized, Cole knew that if he made the promise freely, he would be bound by it. It was as close to manipulative as the Vardian had ever seen any Cirronian come. Living amongst these humans was _definitely_ having a positive influence on him.

He paced around Cole, thinking. He had _known_ that the Cirronian would return once he had the women safely hidden away, but he had not expected this request. It would have been so easy, almost _too_ easy for him to have had several of his people standing by to take care of the problem that was Daggon once and for all, but somehow he had been unable to bring himself to do so. Perhaps it was simply the knowledge that the Tracker would come, alone and unarmed, in good faith that stayed Zin's hand. Perhaps it was a desire to share one last conversation with one of the few citizens of the Migar Federation whom he considered an intellectual equal. He would more readily have admitted the latter to himself, although the excuse he had given to his own people was that he wished to kill the Cirronian himself.

He could have, too, he knew. Easily. _Too_ easily. There would, he told himself, have been no real sport in it. He would kill him another time, he decided, under better circumstances. Which only left the question of the woman whose life the Cirronian was pleading for. 

Finally, shrugging, he nodded. "Lontoria is... less pliant than I had supposed when I agreed to take her through the wormhole with me. She's of no real use to me." With a sigh and a shrug, he swore, "On the friendship that once existed between us, I swear to you that no harm will come to Lontoria through me or because of me. Happy?"

Cole nodded. "Thank you, my friend." Lontoria was safe, and the thought made his heart soar. Now the only question was whether or not Zin would make good on his promise to leave Mel alone in exchange for Cole's life.

"I'm not going to kill you, Daggon, so would you _stop_ looking like you expect a bolt in the stomach?" Zin rolled his eyes. "If I killed you, life would really be dreadfully dull." Laughing and shaking his head, he turned and started towards the door to the warehouse. "Daggon..." he called over his shoulder, humor evident in his voice.

"Yes, Zin?" Cole asked softly.

"As long as she stays out of my way, I'll even leave your girlfriend alone." He laughed. "She's too pretty to kill."

Cole stared after Zin, shaking his head at the last statement. It was so... _Zin_. There was no doubt in Cole's mind, though, that Zin had meant both promises. There had been a flicker of emotion in his eyes that Cole had come to know years ago, a desire to reshape the universe by mere force of will. Zin would leave Lontoria, and for the time-being Mel, alone because it suited his ends to do so. It was as much as he could have hoped for from his old friend.

Nodding, Cole bundled his jacket more tightly around himself and left the warehouse, emerging into a drizzle that was rapidly turning to sleet. A swift wind was kicking in off the lake as well, promising yet another blizzard in a few hours. Chicago in the winter...

The first time he had said it, it had been a mistake. This time, he knew exactly what he was saying when he declared, "This city blows..."

***

Gwen was alone in the Watchfire except for Jonas, who was watching impressed as she proved her contention that you could, indeed, play 'Clare de Lune' on wineglasses and brandy-snifters. She stopped abruptly as the front door opened.

"Hey!" she called cheerfully, circling the bar and pulling Mel and Cole into a bear-hug.

"Hello, Gwen..." Cole told her with a smile, returning the hug before pulling away. "Mel, I'm going to take Jamie home, now."

She nodded and extricated herself from the young woman's grasp. "Okay, Cole. Drive safely." She smiled and waggled her finger at him. 

Cole smiled faintly. "Yes, Mel. No parking on the sidewalk, no driving tips from Nestov. Hello, Jonas." Cole waved at the older man and took Lontoria by the arm, steering her back out of the bar.

Mel returned her attention to Gwen, noticing the glasses arrayed on the bar. "What are you doing?" she asked with a bemused smile.

"First she played 'Greensleeves' and she was just doing 'Clare de Lune'..." Jonas provided, shaking his head and grinning. "I was about to request 'In a Gadda de Vida'."

"This I have to hear..." Mel said with a grin, sitting down next to Jonas. "Gwen?"

The girl shrugged and circled behind the bar, humming thoughtfully to herself for a few moments before beginning. The notes and tempo were perfect, the song undeniably the one requested even if it _did_ sound rather strange coming from the water-filled glasses.

"How do you do that?" Mel asked, grinning with amazement.

"Practice." Gwen smiled. "I can show you, if you want."

Mel shrugged and nodded and Jonas also agreed to give it a try. Soon the three were quite absorbed. Gwen looked up at Jonas, indicating the snow that was beginning to accumulate. The weather had let up over night only to return in small measure that morning. Now it was looking like it was going to end up worse than the blizzard of the other week.

"Counselor, you should go home soon unless you want to get stuck here. You have a long drive..." she suggested gently.

Jonas nodded and rose, picking up his coat. "Good afternoon, ladies."

"Bye, Jonas." Mel smiled and waved.

"See you later, counselor. Drive safely!" Gwen smiled after him, then turned her attention to Mel. "Detective Bruno spent the night in the hospital..." she said softly, starting to empty the glasses. She had mainly set them up to detract Jonas from asking any more questions about where Mel and Cole had gotten to.

"Oh, God..." Mel whispered. She had almost forgotten about Vic with everything that had happened in the past day and a half.

"He's home now..." Gwen continued quickly. "But not too happy with Mister Hauser for some reason." She paused for a moment. "If... it were me... I'd want to talk to Detective Bruno _before_ he could talk to Mister Hauser..." she ventured quietly.

"What'd he say?" Mel asked, surprised.

Gwen shook her head, not wanting to alarm Mel. "Nothing specific, just a lot of grumbling..." she lied. "Mister Hauser's name came up a time or two."

"I'll... I'll talk to him." Mel nodded. "Go home, Gwen, before the snow gets any worse."

She nodded placidly. "Yes, Miss Porter. Give Mister Hauser another hug for me."

"Will do. You give my love to Andy." Mel smiled at her. 

She grinned and nodded. "Yes, ma'am." 

Grabbing her coat but not bothering to pull it on, Gwen waved to Mel and left the bar. A wide, almost smug, smile crossed her face the moment she was on the street. She reminded herself to be _extra _nice to Kettai when he got home tonight. 

***

"So, I figured I'd go into pediatric oncology..." Lontoria was explaining to Cole as he drove her back to Jamie's home in the suburbs. "Cancer in children. It's something that Jamie always wanted, even before she got sick."

Cole smiled and nodded his approval. "That's wonderful, Lontoria."

"Admit it." She grinned at him. "You're relieved it's not physics..." she joked.

"A little." Cole smiled faintly at her. "I know that you'll make a real difference, Lontoria. You'll save many lives."

"Yeah." She nodded. "I think, with work I might be able to develop a vaccine against certain kinds of cancer that effect this species." Her smile flickered slightly. "It's not redemption, but it's a start."

Cole gave her a gentle smile as he pulled Mel's car in front of the Swinson house. "It's a good start, Lontoria..." he told her as he helped her out of the car. "I know you and you'll be the best." He rested his hand on her heart. "You'll save a lot of lives."

She smiled and nodded. "I hope so. Not many get a chance like this to start over. I plan to make it count."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I know you will."

"I also hope that you and Mel will be very happy together. You were right about her. She's special. You could love her like you loved your wife. And... I think she cares about you as much as you do about her." She rested her hand over his heart. "Be happy, Daggon."

He smiled at her and covered the hand over his heart with his own, resting his other hand securely against hers. "Be happy, Lontoria."

"Jamie..." she said softly, covering the hand over her heart with her free hand. "My name's Jamie now."

Cole sighed deeply and pulled her into a hug, holding her against him as he had once held his daughter and ignoring the tears that froze on his cheeks. "I'm going to miss you."

"Will you come in for a few minutes?" she offered, hugging him tightly.

"I shouldn't. With this weather, Mel might be worried. Besides..." They had tacitly agreed that they would not communicate with each other again, except in absolute emergency. It was too dangerous for her and would only slow her integration into her newly acquired life. "It would probably be better, easier for both of us…" 

He trailed off again, sighing deeply. Last time had seemed less of a good-bye and more of an until-we-meet-again. This time, they both knew that it was to be good-bye forever. 

Cole held her tightly, the woman who had brought a ray of sunshine to a cold, dark prison satellite. Having her in his life again, this time on more equal terms, was an appealing proposition, but simply too dangerous. If she was to succeed in the life she had planned for herself, the life of a _human_, she could not be forced to face such reminders of her old life, for good or bad, as Cole's presence would provide. It was time for her to move forward, to leave the past in the past where it belonged. She would do great things, he knew, make a difference. She might even find the redemption she sought, but she would do it on her own. As much as it hurt him to admit it, Cole Hauser had no place in the life of Jamie Swinson. 

The woman who had been Lontoria held the man who had been her jailer and, more importantly, her friend tightly. She had loved him the first time she had laid eyes on him. For all the sorrow, all the anger there could be no denying what an amazing man he truly was: compassionate, considerate, understanding, loyal, supportive… More than once she had filled her own loneliness with dreams of a life with him. When she had seen him again, those dreams had returned, although she had recognized them as laughable. He never had, never _would_ love her as he had loved his wife, as he was growing to love Mel. She was a fine woman, though, good for him, and Lontoria wished them only the best together. Although she would miss her old friend, she knew that it would be better for both of them this way.

"I understand." She nodded and gave him a last squeeze. "Stay safe. Be happy."

"You, too, Jamie. I hope your life is a wonderful one." He smiled at her and kissed her forehead again, then turned her towards the house, where Abby was lingering in the doorway, patiently waiting for them to say their good-byes. "Your mother's waiting."

Squaring her shoulders, she turned and walked towards the house. Cole watched for a moment before climbing into the car and driving home in thoughtful silence. He knew that she would do great things, his only regret was that he would not be there to see it happen. Deliberately, he turned his thoughts from Lontoria to Mel as he drove, from his past to his future. 

She was waiting for him and the relieved smile that she flashed him lit her entire face. He could hardly blame her. The weather was turning nasty fast. He smiled back and pulled his coat off, rubbing his hands together for warmth. Mel joined him and helped, smiling curiously up at him. She had not expected to see him smiling. Last time he had parted ways with Lontoria, he had been depressed for days. He smiled back down at her, relaxing and enjoying as she rubbed warmth and life back into cold flesh.

"Thank you, Mel." He smiled at her.

"Why don't I make us some hot cocoa?" she offered, smiling up at him. He had been through a lot in the last two days, and she hoped that she could offer some measure of comfort or, at the very least, a sympathetic ear.

"I'd like that, Mel." He nodded and started towards the stairs. "I just need to store these life-forces." He held up the Collector.

"Okay, Cole." She smiled and watched him go. When the front door swung open a few moments later, she was surprised that anyone had braved the weather. He must have really needed a drink. Or, more likely, a phone. "Hey..." she said cheerfully. "Help you?" It took her a moment to recognize Kettai under the layers and layers of coats and scarves. "Not a fan of the cold, I guess?" she said with a grin.

"I'm Cirronian. What do you think?" His tone was cheerful as always and he smiled warmly at her, making words that should have seemed sarcastic seem friendly.

"Good point." She grinned. "What can I do for you? Or did you want to see Cole?"

He nodded. "Yes. Is he upstairs?"

Mel nodded. "Yeah. Last door on your right."

"Thank you, Miss Porter." He smiled and started up the stairs. The door in question was open, and he watched with interest as the Tracker carefully transferred one life-force at a time into the storage-unit. He had never seen one take quite so much care at it. "Hello, Daggon."

Cole smiled up at him as he transferred the last life-force. "I'm glad you came. It saves me having to return this to you." He returned the other Cirronian's Collector.

"Thank you." Kettai nodded and accepted it. He paused for a moment.

"Was there something else you wished to discuss?" Cole asked gently.

He nodded slowly. "The Security Council is... displeased with you, Daggon."

He nodded and bowed his head. "I know. The escape was my fault."

"They don't blame you for that, but you _are_ technically AWOL. You followed Rhee without permission, without reporting your intent..." He shook his head. "You've made enemies."

Cole watched him uncertainly. He had suspected as much and wondered what Kettai was getting at. "Yes."

"I thought you should know..." Kettai said simply, shrugging. "Just in case anything comes of it."

"Thank you." Cole smiled and nodded. "I appreciate everything that you've done for me." He paused. "Although I still don't understand why."

"Gweny."

Cole nodded but wondered fleetingly if Gwen could really have _not_ known about Kettai. If they were lovers, it seemed unlikely that she could remain ignorant of the truth. Still, if she _did_ know that Kettai was Cirronian, he could hardly blame her for having kept silent. Who would have believed her, after all? And even if she did know that he was not human, it did not mean that she knew anything about his mission or the Taskforce. She was not, after all, a girl in the habit of asking too many questions. He resolved to discuss it with Kettai later, but now the Cirronian seemed in dire need of relief from the cold outside.

"Mel is making cocoa. Will you join us?"

Kettai considered for a moment before shaking his head. "Hot chocolate is nice for keeping one warm, but... there are things that are better." A slow smile spread across his face, making him seem younger than normal. With a bow and a cheerful wave, he left.

Cole stared after him, perplexed. He knew of very few things that could warm him up as fast as a mug of Mel's hot cocoa. He rubbed his still-stiff hands together again, recalling Mel's gently hands rubbing warmth back into them, he suddenly understood the other Cirronian's meaning. He was still very cold in the hands, face, and chest, and he wondered if Mel would be willing to help with that as well.

Mel was walking into the kitchen to start the cocoa and saw Cole standing in the hallway, smiling reflectively. The expression was compelling in its innocent charm. "What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously, approaching him.

"You..." he answered honestly, smiling and taking her hands in his.

"Cole, you're freezing!" she exclaimed, dropping his hands and touching his face, which was also freezing. "Come on, let's get some cocoa in you. That'll help."

Although a little disappointed, Cole smiled and nodded. "Okay, Mel." 

His smile widened as she slid her arm around his waist and steered him into the living-room where she made him sit down and draped a comforter over him before bringing him his cocoa and curling up on the couch next to him. Kettai had been right. On a cold winter night, Mel's presence _was_ better than a mug of cocoa.

****

The End


End file.
